Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley were extremely busy last summer.
Stewart and Winstanley brought in several new players, including the likes of Joao Pedro and Jorrel Hato.
Pedro has been a success and Hato is starting to make an impact, yet it is still difficult to say that Chelsea’s squad has improved following the 2025 summer transfer window.
What are you doing with Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea fans?
Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea celebrates with gold medal after Conference League final vs Real Betis
Photo by Mikolaj Barbanell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Chelsea have downgraded on Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho
In Pedro, Chelsea do appear to have a better No.9 than Nicolas Jackson. Pedro has scored 14 goals in the Premier League this season so far, which is Jackson’s best tally.
However, their overall striker department has not improved, as Liam Delap has been anything but an upgrade on the Senegal international.
It is March, and Delap has only scored one goal in the English top flight. His hold-up and link-up play cannot be compared to Jackson’s either right now.
This is so harsh on Delap! 😭
TalkingPoints user on Liam Delap
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Out wide, you also have to question whether the Blues are any better there despite spending more than £90m on Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho.
Like Delap, Garnacho also has just one league goal to his name, while Gittens has not netted in the Premier League at all. There are enough games left for that to change, but it is not impossible that both men finish the season on fewer goals than Jadon Sancho, who only scored three last term.
Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea FC and Jadon Sancho of Chelsea FC cheer
Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Noni Madueke is a right winger, but Enzo Maresca started to use him on the left towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign. Would you say that Gittens and Garnacho are better wingers than the Arsenal star? Probably not.
According to BBC Sport, Chelsea spent £285m on signings last summer, yet somehow they have actually managed to regress. That is not on Maresca or Liam Rosenior.
The club’s sporting structure is what really needs to be questioned and the ones with leading positions in it.
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