Chelsea have known since October that a wing-back would be the most critical and rare target in the transfer window. By not moving aggressively to obtain the best option, Alex Sandro, Juventus made another deal and took Sandro off the market.
Chelsea had eight months after the introduction of the 3-4-3 to realize, assess and develop solutions for their needs at wing-back. Even if Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses were the world’s top two wing-backs (narrator’s voice-over: “They weren’t), Chelsea still needed depth on the flanks. The Blues could not enter the Champions League and a title defence without top-level back-ups at such a crucial position.
Victor Moses’ performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup final ended the 2016/17 season with a vivid exposition of Chelsea’s needs. The Blues then had five weeks of off-season to prepare their next move.
And then they had three weeks of the transfer window to secure the most obvious and available transfer target, Alex Sandro. On July 21, Juventus sold Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan. That sale foreclosed the possibility of a Sandro transfer. Juventus is unwilling to lose another top defender, particularly not one who most often played in Bonucci’s absence.
"Alex Sandro? He’s a Juventus player, he’s extraordinary and he won’t leave us. He’s improved so much since he came to Juve and he has the margins to improve again. Along with Marcelo, he’s on the best in the world. – Massimiliano Allegri, quoted in Evening Standard"
Allegri’s comments may be, to some extent, standard Serie A transfer gamesmanship. Chelsea have a long and pointless history dealing with Serie A managers. Last summer, the Blues’ nemesis was Napoli chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis in the tussle for Kalidou Koulibaly. Chelsea also struggled publicly and futilely with AS Roma for Radja Nainggolan.
Serie A truly are more trouble than they are worth. They play with Chelsea like a tomcat with a mouse. Chelsea expend time, energy and capital negotiating with the Italian clubs, and usually leave with nothing.
To some extent this is a blessing in disguise, as Chelsea’s transfers from Serie A rarely pan out. Players arriving at Stamford Bridge from Italy put in the fewest appearances for their fee of any of Europe’s top seven leagues.
But Alex Sandro is one of the few worth pursuing. The scarcity of wing-backs overall, let alone one with a proven record in a system similar to Antonio Conte’s, puts Sandro in high demand for Chelsea. Juventus clearly knew this, and adjusted their asking price and negotiations accordingly.
Juventus, though, wanted to make a sale. They turned down Chelsea’s £61 million bid for Sandro earlier in the month. They then sold Bonucci for about £38 million. Given Bonucci’s age, that was probably a better sale, even if it was to a rival. But Chelsea enabled that sale by not closing in on Sandro early in the window.
Chelsea’s hesitation, passivity and apparent frugality have weakened their position in the market overall. By not completing these transfers before pre-season started, their precarious lineup is now public knowledge. Their needs – almost desperation – will stiffen the resolve of whoever is on the other side of the negotiation. Chelsea will end up paying more for whichever of the few players remaining on the market.
Next: Renato Sanches dispute diverting attention from wing-back situation
Alex Sandro was one of the few players who could have immediately provided competition and cover at wing-back. At best, Chelsea will now overpay for him. More likely, Antonio Conte will start the season and may have to fight through until January with Fikayo Tomori as Marcos Alonso’s backup. At the risk of sounding like Jose Mourinho, that could make any manager lose his hair.