Chelsea are in « complete disarray » with their transfer strategy, clarifies former Blues striker Chris Sutton.

« They’re making it up as they go, » Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “They did all season. »

Chelsea have spent almost €350m on signings since a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly took control of the club in May last year.

Despite that outlay, he’s not 10th in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. They have won just two of their last nine games, and fans have been singing for former manager Thomas Tuchel and ex-owner Roman Abramovich.

Here, BBC Sport examines what’s wrong with Stamford Bridge.

What is the background?

Chelsea’s season has been split between two managers with Graham Potter succeeds Tuchel, was dismissed at the beginning of September when the club was sixth.

Chelsea (all competitions)	Thomas Tuche	Graham Potter
Games played	100	18
Victory Percentage	60%	44%
Goals per game	1.68	1.22
Tires per game	15.2	11.8
Hit conversion rate (including blocks)	11.1%	10.3%
possession	61.4%	57.4%
Goals conceded per game	0.77	1.06
Shots taken per game	8.9	10.8
Percentage of clean leaves	49%	33%

Potter started his reign going nine games unbeaten, but Chelsea have since slipped down the table, with a series of injury problems and new signings that have failed.

The Blues have nine first-team players out of action, with strikers Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic the latest additions after they were both limped in Chelsea lost 1-0 in the Premier League against Manchester City.

Potter said the injuries had « sharpened » Chelsea’s focus in their pursuit of Portugal international Joao Felix, who arrives on a six-month loan from Atletico Madrid.

They had spent just over €60m on four signings in January, with Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrei Santos all join with standing offers.

‘Chelsea are in trouble’ – Sutton

When asked if Joao Felix was the signing Chelsea needed to finally kick off their season, Sutton replied: “Who knows? He obviously became available and he’s a talented player, but I’m not sure he’s a Graham Potter signing.

“Chelsea are in disarray. They are in deep trouble and everyone who is there and available right now is trying to buy in to improve the team. »

Sutton said it was Potter’s responsibility to make the most of an « underperforming » team.

« Since Potter arrived, the team hasn’t diminished, » he said. “There is an argument that they regressed under him.

“There are Chelsea fans who have lost patience with Potter. He must ensure that the team plays well and collects points quickly. »

« The Promising Start of Forgotten Potter »

Ross Mooring, Chelsea fan

The chants for Tuchel and Abramovich during last weekend’s chat FA Cup defeat to Manchester City underlined dissatisfaction with the current results for a club accustomed to resolving problems on the pitch quickly.

They speak of frustration with Chelsea’s performance, and that for the hundreds of millions spent on signings since Boehly and co took over, there are still glaring weaknesses in this squad.

Potter’s promising start was forgotten, but an injury glut left him with plenty of square pegs to fill several round holes in a patchwork first XI that struggled to build chemistry.

Will the passionate signature – on paper – you’re ready by Joao Felix solve this problem? Chelsea certainly need strikers at the moment, but even if the Portuguese is boosting his career in a way that other recent signings from Atlético haven’t, opinions are divided on whether he will. it would be a simple band-aid, with clubs like City and current Arsenal nowhere to be seen.

Analysis

BBC Sport’s Alistair Magowan

Chelsea’s decision to pay almost €10million plus a sizable salary for Joao Felix’s six-month loan continues the club’s confusing transfer policy under Boehly.

The Portuguese striker’s move makes sense in the short term, given that Pulisic and Sterling are both blessings and Chelsea need a boost to get them back in the chasing pack for the Champions League places next season.

But it underscores the new owner’s willingness to pay inflated prices at a time when it has yet to make it clear how it will comply with financial fair play rules. It’s just one day on UEFA’s watch list. He also pursues a policy of attacking well-stocked areas of the field, while failing to energize weak positions.

Last summer, Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali shelled out over €250m on players before sacking Tuchel and appointing Potter as manager. In this window they have paid £35m for Benoit Badiashile, whose preference is a left centre-back role, having already bought two players who can play there in the last window – Marc Cucurella for £60m and Kalidou Koulibaly for 34 M£.

What Chelsea really need is an attachment to convert the chances they create, but Romelu Lukaku was soon loaned out to Inter Milan and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang struggled after becoming one of the last recruits of the reign of Tuchel. The midfield is another area of ​​concern amid N’Golo Kante’s lingering injuries, and there is a lack of proper cover for injured right-back Reece James.

Chelsea’s politics seem to be getting out of trouble, but it hasn’t worked out well so far. The club will point out that many of the players bought are young and could therefore generate profits in the future. Long contracts also mean that all fees paid will be amortized and paid during the transaction, which will help balance the books.

Chelsea fans are hoping that after seven chaotic months since the takeover, there is a more cohesive transfer strategy for the rest of January and into next summer. There’s more money to spend, but missing out on the Champions League next season will have an impact.

Boehly has now stepped down as interim sporting director, allowing technical director Christopher Vivell and scouting specialist Paul Winstanley to do the job, which could create less noise.

‘The toughest job in (Site notre bureau spécialisé)’ – Potter

As the pressure mounts on Potter, the Chelsea boss said on Wednesday he felt he had « probably the toughest job in (Site notre bureau spécialisé) ».

He said it was because of « you’re changing leadership and expectations and rightly so the way people view Chelsea ».

In Abramovich’s 19 years at Stamford Bridge, the club have won every major trophy – two Champions Leagues, not one under Tuchel, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two Europa Leagues and three EFL Cups.

« It’s fantastic what they’ve accomplished, » Potter said. “But this is a new era, a new chapter.

« It would be disrespectful to say, ‘Well, it’s gone and we’ll just get it back. We have new staff, new structures, new people.

“A lot of things have happened and you have to try to rebuild it. But, in the meantime, you still have Chelsea, you still have the demands and the expectations. »

Signatures since the takeover of Boehly

Marc Cucurella – Brighton, €60m

Raheem Sterling – Manchester City, 50 million euros

Kalidou Koulibaly—Naples, £33m

Carney Chukwuemeka-Aston Villa, 20 million euros

Cesare Casadei – Inter Milan, £12m

Wesley Fofana – Leicester, 70 million euros

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Barcelona, ​​£10.3m

Gabriel Slonina – Chicago Fire 8 million euros

Denis Zakaria – Juventus, loan

Benoit Badiashile – Monaco, 35 million euros

David Datro Fofana – Molde, 8 million euros

Andrei Santos – Vasco da Gama, 10 million euros

Joao Felix – Atletico Madrid, €9.7m loan fee

• Will this valley ever recover? Watch the all-new series of gripping drama Happy Valley on BBC iPlayer
• « There are forces out there that you can’t understand yet »: Watch the long-awaited series finale of His Dark Materials on BBC iPlayer