REally interesting article in Get West London about how Roman Abramovich told the Chelsea boss that he the days of freely spending on players was over and that ht would have to balance the books at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, who has sold even better than he has bought as Chelsea, made it clear that the club’s Billionaire owner insisted upon a new way of doing things in west London. Mourinho is quoted as saying:
“It was something that was explained one-and-a-half years ago when I met my owner and my club board before I joined. I was explained the kind of club Mr Abramovich wants, one with complete respect with the financial fair play.
“Our work to keep the team strong and with possibility to compete with the ones financially more powerful or the ones who don’t care about financial fair play. We had to work very hard.
“So in my area I try to do that, analysing the players we can sell and analysing who we can buy. When it goes to numbers, it goes completely away from my control. I think total credit goes to the people who look after that area and I repeat, I’m not that one.
“The only thing that is not nice is that we compete against the ones who don’t follow the same rules. That’s the only problem and it has happened before. I don’t think a team can be champions when you are punished because you didn’t comply with the financial fair play.”
While a lot of attention is put on who Chelsea have bought, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matić and Juan Cuadrado to name a few, those purchases were possible because of how well Mourinho has sold squad players. I think you can make the case that Mournho has not sold anyone who was a regular starter at Chelsea, but replaced them with players who are making the whole team and squad stronger.
David Luiz went to PSG for £50 million, while Juan Mata cost Manchester United £37 million. Even the Cuadrado dela was funded by the sale of Andre Schurrle to Wolfsburg for £24 million. In all Mourinho has raised around £170 million from the sale of players since returning to Chelsea last summer. That might be the most impressive transfer market number in recent years.
What do you think of Mourinho’s transfer dealings?