Chelsea plans further transfers to close the gap with Manchester City and Arsenal

Despite substantial investments, Enzo Maresca still considers Chelsea not competitive enough to keep up with the current Premier League leaders, Manchester City and Arsenal. The club has been the biggest spender in three of the last four transfer windows, with £219 million spent on new players this summer alone. Since the takeover by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium in May 2022, Chelsea has invested well over a billion pounds in the squad. Nevertheless, Maresca acknowledges that both Manchester City and Arsenal are currently well ahead. He emphasizes that continuity is a crucial factor: both Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal bring years of leadership experience that Chelsea currently lacks. However, Maresca remains optimistic and hopes that Chelsea can gradually catch up through continuous improvements and targeted reinforcements. Although he admits that the gap to the top clubs is currently evident, he sees potential for the team to move closer to the top. For the upcoming transfer window in January and next summer, the club plans to make fewer but more targeted signings. This strategy aims to strengthen the squad in a targeted manner and make it more competitive in the long term. It is part of a comprehensive plan to gradually bring the team up to the level of the leaders and make it more competitive in the future.