The spree has clearly irritated Jose Mourinho but he should relax: not one of the players who his rivals have bought would get in Chelsea’s starting line-up.
It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about Bastian Schweinsteiger, Raheem Sterling, Petr Cech or Christian Benteke; none of them are at a level where they would waltz into Stamford Bridge and take the place of those who helped Chelsea become champions last season.
Schweinsteiger was a World Cup winner 13 months ago and arrives in England with an outstanding c.v. but he is now 31 and fitness problems have become an issue. He is not a 26-year-old approaching his peak and Mourinho would not select him ahead of Nemanja Matic or Cesc Fabregas.
Cech has been the signing of the summer for Arsenal but, in Mourinho’s eyes, he can’t be a better keeper than Thibaut Courtois or he would have been between the posts today; Liverpool, searching for goals, have caught the eye with their business but is Benteke at Diego Costa’s level yet? No.
Sterling, perhaps, is the only one who would be knocking on the door to get in to Chelsea’s team but his competition would be Eden Hazard and given a choice between the two, Mourinho would not look any further than a man he thinks can reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo.
I’ve been watching the action in the window unfold and I am yet to see a signing that has made me think ‘wow’; for all the money that our clubs now have, we cannot say they have bought someone from the elite.
Look at Manchester City, for example. Sterling is a very good player and will take the place of Samir Nasri or Jesus Navas but is that enough to carry them back to first place? What happens if Sergio Aguero gets an injury, as history suggests he will? Does Wilfried Bony give them that fear?
City’s two biggest problems last year were central defence and centre midfield. They have the financial power to rattle Chelsea, so I can’t understand why they haven’t gone for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin to partner Vincent Kompany, who remains an outstanding defender but is maybe reaching the stage where he has to concentrate on his own game.
Fabian Delph is a good player and adds energy that they lacked, but Paul Pogba was the one to go for as Yaya Toure’s long-term replacement. Toure has driven City to two titles, but he’s 32 now and I don’t see him having the energy to do that once again.
Across town, Louis van Gaal has spent more than £200million since he arrived at Old Trafford. That outlay has got them nearer to first place but they are still short, particularly up front and at the back, especially now with the situation surrounding David de Gea.
He was the reason they reached the top four last season but van Gaal thinks he is not in the right frame of mind to face Tottenham. The situation can only be a huge concern. Van Gaal’s remit last year was to get back into the top four. This year United’s fans will want the title but they won’t achieve that. Why? If I write down United’s strongest starting line-up to see which players Mourinho would pick for Chelsea, the only decision I think he has is over Wayne Rooney and Costa.
We can all reel off Chelsea’s best XI without thinking twice and assuming they all play together for the vast majority of the new campaign, the only outcome I can see is Mourinho winning the Barclays Premier League for the fourth time. He is not a manager who chops and changes. When Mourinho has the right formula, he sticks with it and it speaks volumes that 10 of his players made more than 40 appearances in all competitions last year.
Chelsea’s inactivity, however, is right to cause Mourinho some anxiety. Not buying players to improve their first team isn’t an issue. Not buying players to improve the strength of the squad, on the other hand, is a problem. Having such a well-known team could lead to complacency.
Over the past year, the depth of their squad has diminished. I wasn’t a huge fan of Andre Schurrle, but he would pop up with a goal or key contribution. Juan Cuadrado, his replacement, has so far been an expensive mistake and given nothing. How much will Radamel Falcao offer? I never saw any sign during his season at Old Trafford of the player who terrorised Chelsea in the European Super Cup final and if Costa’s hamstring issues persist, does Falcao have it in him to score 10-15 goals? I’m not sure.
Asmir Begovic has left Stoke to become Courtois’ deputy but is inferior to Cech. Mourinho needs a left back but he won’t find anyone with pedigree like Filipe Luis — who 12 months ago arrived having played in a Champions League final — to provide back up for Cesar Azpilicueta.
You can even factor David Luiz and Juan Mata into this. Mourinho sold them for huge amounts and that funded the title campaign but, whatever he thought about them, he no longer has the quality either would provide from the bench.
Of course Chelsea could not refuse £50million for Luiz from Paris Saint- Germain, and I’m not pretending for a minute I was his biggest admirer, but he was still capable of making decisive contributions.
Mourinho has said ‘the transfer window is over’ but I can’t see how he will get to September 1 without adding the cover he needs in central defence or left back. He won’t allow anything to compromise his ambition to win trophy after trophy.
His influence always gives Chelsea an edge and, deep down, he will know his rivals have not made a signing to rattle his best team. He will also know the biggest threat to Chelsea’s supremacy does not come from the outside. Given his back up options, the threat lies within.
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