Few clubs tend to be busier in the market, but this year is even more frenetic because they are no longer just shopping for players for themselves.
They have already broken their record for an incoming transfer this summer and more signings are being pursued. The Athletic takes a look. They admire the multi-club models put in place by, for example, City Football Group.
CFG now has 13 teams, with treble winners Manchester City leading their stable. I would love to continue to build out the footprint. There are different countries where there are advantages to having a club. You have Manchester City, that has a very big network of clubs.
Adopting this model provides Chelsea with another venue to develop players, whether from their own squad or those representing Strasbourg, with much greater control over what happens. Arguably no English club have exploited the loan market more than Chelsea over the past two decades. Their bond with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem during the Roman Abramovich era was used more than any other as a temporary home β there were 29 loans between Chelsea and Vitesse from and β to develop talent.
But, unlike this deal with Strasbourg, that partnership was never formalised. At the club who finished 15th out of 20 in Ligue 1 last season, Chelsea will have a greater say in how their loan players are nurtured. Chelsea had been considering several options in various leagues around the world. Strasbourg became the first they have bought a majority stake in because, having been on the lookout for new investment over the past few years, they were open to the idea of someone joining them.
