How Chelsea’s transfer plan has already evolved after Michael Olise decision

Chelsea fans will have suffered from de ja vu these past few weeks as the Blues once again pushed to sign Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

Mauricio Pochettino was the first manager to trigger his release clause and looked set to get his man until Olise pulled a 180 and decided to extend his stay at Selhurst Park. It was a blow for the Blues as they looked to strengthen their attack and they would have felt even more aggrieved as they watched Olise perform spectacularly in the Premier League.

Despite a troublesome campaign with injuries, Olise still managed to bag ten goals and six assists in 19 appearances which ensured he remained on the radar for Chelsea. With Pochettino gone and Enzo Maresca hired as his replacement, owner Todd Boehly backed the club to enquire again about the forward but this time they appear to have learnt their lesson.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Boehly has become infamous for spending outlandish amounts of money. Yet on Friday night, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that Olise had chosen to join Bayern Munich as Chelsea withdrew from the transfer race.

It is believed the Blues were wary about the cost involved in the deal considering a percentage of the fee is owed to Olise and his previous club Reading. Instead, Chelsea are looking to reward existing players (presumably with first-team minutes) as well as focusing on a couple of cost-efficient attacking signings.

This decision from the Chelsea boardroom shows they are now evolving their transfer approach to one which is more sustainable for the long-term future of the club. Boehly may have boasted about finding a Financial Fair Play (FFP) loophole by handing out extremely long contracts to help spread costs but the reality is that you can’t do this for every new player.

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Chelsea instead needs to be more selective with their spending and ultimately the centre-forward position is much more of a pressing concern than a winger considering the amount of talent there already is in that role. Giving opportunities to those players will foster a much better environment than continuing to throw money at the problem until something sticks.

Now is the time to stick with those who are already on the books and trust they can do the job they were brought in for.