Graeme Souness says Premier League record signing will ‘never reach the level’

Graeme Souness expects determination to beryllium an ‘enormous discarded of players’ astatine Chelsea and says Enzo Fernandez volition ‘never scope the level’ the nine would person hoped for.

Chelsea’s bonzer spending spree implicit the past 2 years has been good documented, with the Blues splashing retired much than £1billion connected caller signings.

While some, similar Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke, person proven to beryllium shrewd additions, others person flopped and whitethorn unit Chelsea to instrumentality large losses successful the transportation market.

As things stand, Fernandez whitethorn autumn into the second category, with the Argentina World Cup victor losing his spot successful the squad this season.

Signed for £105m, Fernandez became the most costly signing successful British football erstwhile helium swapped Benfica for Chelsea successful January 2023.

The 23-year-old has shown glimpses of his imaginable but has wide underwhelmed and presently finds himself down Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia successful Enzo Maresca’s pecking order.

Souness believes Fernandez is 1 of a fig of Chelsea players who ‘won’t scope the level’ and says it is ‘very early’ to determine whether the club’s unthinkable transportation strategy has been a success.

Chelsea missed retired connected the top-four past play but look much-improved nether new manager Maresca, presently sitting 4th successful the Premier League and apical of the Europa Conference League.

‘It’s inactive precise aboriginal to walk immoderate benignant of judgement connected Chelsea,’ Souness said connected the Three Up Front podcast.

‘With their existent radical of players, they person a accidental of finishing successful the apical four, but they’re inactive immoderate mode disconnected winning the Premier League oregon Champions League.

‘From the existent squad, I deliberation there’ll beryllium an tremendous wastage of players and a batch of them volition ne'er unrecorded up to the levels that radical deliberation they will.

‘The astir evident 1 for maine is idiosyncratic who isn’t adjacent successful the squad astatine the moment, Enzo Fernandez, connected whom they spent £105million.

‘They’ve bought a load of players who won’t scope the level they would’ve hoped.’

The Liverpool fable and respected shot pundit added: ‘I deliberation determination was a antithetic mode they could’ve done it.

‘They conscionable went retired with a scattergun approach, buying everyone and anyone of a definite property that popped up.

‘They’re conscionable storing up much problems for themselves further down the line. The lawsuit successful constituent would beryllium Raheem Sterling, who they’ve fundamentally had to springiness away.

‘They’re going to beryllium confronted with that aforesaid concern astatine slightest different half-a-dozen times.

‘Players volition not unrecorded up to the expectation, go surplus to requirements, beryllium sat connected seven-year contracts and not privation to permission Chelsea unless they get offered a large aureate handshake to locomotion retired the door.

‘Chelsea volition get nary worth for them erstwhile they merchantability them due to the fact that they’re deemed to beryllium a failure, and they’ll person to wage them to leave. That’s not a sustainable concern model.’

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester United successful their past Premier League fixture and instrumentality to league enactment connected Sunday with different tricky clash with Arsenal.

Arsenal looked acceptable to beryllium Manchester City’s biggest rivals for the rubric astatine the commencement of the play but the Gunners person lost back-to-back games and picked up conscionable 1 constituent successful 3 up of their travel to westbound London.

For much stories similar this, check our athletics page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest quality connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE : Arsenal prima to play against Chelsea contempt suffering breached toe

MORE : The existent crushed wherefore Benjamin Sesko snubbed Arsenal transportation past summer

MORE : Chelsea prima reveals heartwarming crushed for his glowing signifier this season

This tract is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.