Chelsea's 'child in a sweet shop' approach to buying players could benefit Arsenal

Like a wily old shop keeper selling Prime to a teenager for more than a tenner, when it comes to Chelsea, the selling clubs can really see them coming. The advantages to Arsenal are staring the Gunners fully in the face.

Chelsea's transfer policy is reckless and egotistical

Life-long Chelsea fan, Miguel Drummond, described the Chelsea approach to signing players under Boehly and Clearlake to being like a bully in a sweet shop.

"It's like if the bully sees some nougat that another kid wants to buy, he suddenly thinks I've gotta have that nougat. Even if he doesn't really want it."

Take for example, 20-year-old Jamie Gittens. Do Chelsea really need him and will he make them any better? He's done okay at Borussia Dortmund...but so did Jadon Sancho. And Chelsea have just paid five million quid to send him back to Manchester United. Signing Gittens is an example of the club just doing so because he's the shiny new sweet on the shelf. He's over-priced, unproven, and overhyped.

Gittens has already cost Chelsea in the region of £48 million, with a contract until the end of June 2032. With add-ons, the Under-21will be a £51.5 million burden at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea in breach of UEFA financial rules

Chelsea are already in breach of UEFA financial rules as a consequence of over-spending. The fines, reported to be up to £78.5 million, don't appear to be much of a deterrent. The addition of Joao Pedro (£60 million) and Liam Delap (£30 million) only serves to sharpen that argument.

The sale of Noni Madueke, probably to Arsenal who have reportedly submitted a £50 million bid today, will go someway to alleviating the pressure but not far enough.

Chelsea will no doubt continue to find as many loopholes to exploit as they continue unabashed but ultimately the overspending will catch up with them.

Business relations between Arsenal and Chelsea remain strong

Despite the bitterness and resentment between the two sets of rival fans, business relationships between the two clubs remain strong according to Fabrizio Romano.

Therefore any deal to bring Madueke to the Emirates will have been well thought out and will work in Arsenal's favour. While Chelsea get a relatively inexperienced young-player in Gittens, Arsenal will be getting a player who can deputise for Saka when needed and contribute on either side of the pitch.

Madueke joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in 2023 for £28.5 million. He has since gone on to score 20 goals in 91 appearances for the Blues.

Perhaps Chelsea's biggest miscalculation was to pay a record transfer fee for a goalkeeper in 2018. Kepa Arrizabalaga cost Chelsea £71 million and a reported £190,000-a-week in wages.

When Arsenal signed the Spaniard for just £5 million on July 1st, as a back-up goalkeeper for Raya, they got, not only an experienced and reliable goal keeper, but also rewarded for a sound long-term approach to recruitment.

The contrast between transfer approaches couldn't be more stark

The contrast between the calculated approach of Andrea Berta and the reckless 'buy everyone' approach epitomised by the Boehly-Clearlake era, couldn't be more stark.

Since the summer of 2022, Chelsea have spent £1.4 Billion on transfer fees alone. Despite accounting for player sales during the period, Chelsea remain £862 million in the red.

In the red (and white) of Arsenal is exactly where Havertz, Kepa, and Madueke will be next season and Arsenal will be better off for it.