Chelsea’s transfer ban went much better than expected. Although the ban was reduced to 1 transfer window, no one could have predicted Chelsea’s season.
Chelsea was transfer banned for the 2019 summer and were supposed to be for the 2020 winter transfer window but it was lifted. This was because the Blues broke 2 UEFA rules regarding youth players and third party influence.
At the time, many saw this as a big hit towards the club. Probably the worst part about their transfer ban was not being able to get a replacement for Eden Hazard after his departure. But what exactly made the transfer ban better than expected?
The rise of the youth
After the transfer ban was in effect, Chelsea lost Maurizio Sarri and Eden Hazard. But in return, they received Christain Pulisic who was bought in the winter transfer window prior to this season.
Frank Lampard took charge of the Blues and was put into a difficult situation. He sort of had to rebuild the team starting with establishing his system of play and tactics.
Right from the beginning of the season, Lampard gave regular minutes to the young players who were from the academy. Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour, and Tammy Abraham. These 8 players have been crucial to making Lampard’s system succeed as well as making the team succeed.
To the surprise of many, the boys from the bridge stayed in the top 4 in the Premier League for nearly the whole season. With all of these youth players regularly being included in the senior squad and starting XI, this allowed more academy players to develop in the U23, U21, and U19 teams.
Saving the money. Since Chelsea was transfer banned, they were not allowed to spend any money on players.
This allowed the Blues to save up their money for the future while other teams were busy spending. Another key positive was having more time to scout players, build a target list, and make decisions.
Chelsea used the first few months of the season to identify potential transfer targets. At the time, still being transfer suspended meant there was no pressure in doing well during the winter transfer window.
Once the transfer ban was shortened to 1 transfer window, the club was finally allowed to get going. Although the Blues tried to get a couple of players, no team was willing to sell. This gave Chelsea even more time to think about their targets and save money.
All of that waiting and thinking paid off once Chelsea got their first transfer agreement with a high profile player. Less than a month after the winter transfer window ended, Chelsea agreed to a transfer with Ajax for Hakim Ziyech. He will officially join the Blues on July 1st but will have to wait to make his debut.
Chelsea secured their second player transferred to the club this summer as Chelsea officially announced the transfer of Timo Werner. He could make his Blues debut in the 2nd leg of the Champions League’s round of 16 against Bayern Munchen.
That’s if UEFA gives the green light on new players signed and them being allowed to be added to the team return. Lucky for Chelsea, they still have a lot more money to spend and could get a few more players this summer.
The after-effects of Chelsea’s transfer ban.
Chelsea’s transfer ban was reduced to 1 transfer window back in December. But the winter transfer window was quite uneventful for the Blues. Chelsea was able to secure 2 high profile players with more to come.
Their youth was able to blossom given the opportunities Frank Lampard handed to them. Those youth players will be looking to progress even further next season.
The progression of youth players and the transfers of high profile players give Chelsea a real chance to compete for major trophies next season. Winning the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Champions League are all quite realistic for the Blues next season.
Overall, this transfer ban has allowed Chelsea to succeed for many years to come. The Blues are in this position mainly thanks to Frank Lampard, Roman Abramovich, and Marina Granovskaia. The Blues have nearly a decade before many of their players hit their peak years.
Chelsea’s transfer ban ended up with far more positive effects rather than negative effects. That is mainly because of smart and efficient management from the Chelsea organization.
The manager, transfer chief, and owner went about this the right way and set up the men in blue with a very bright future. All in all, expect Chelsea to be dominating the world in a few years all thanks to a transfer ban.