Signing Jorginho when his deal with Manchester City seemed done ages ago may have been a statement by Chelsea. But keeping Eden Hazard at the club will be a bigger one.
Over the past four seasons Chelsea have managed to win four trophies. Two-time Premier League champions during the period, they have also managed to win the FA Cup and the League Cup once. But unlike the first decade of the Roman Abramovich era where Chelsea managed to win thanks to their massive spending prowess, the success in recent years has not come from Abramovich flexing his muscle in the transfer market.
Since 2014, Chelsea are sixth in net spend. They are behind clubs like Everton, Crystal Palace and the two Manchester clubs, who have four times the net spend as Chelsea. This shows a definite shift in the board’s approach, which hit its nadir in the woeful 2017 summer transfer window.
So you can imagine the delight of Chelsea fans when the Blues snagged Jorginho from right under Manchester City’s nose. A fantastic midfielder who perfectly encapsulates Maurizio Sarri’s vision, Jorginho lives the brand of football he wants to bring to Stamford Bridge.
Jorginho is not quite a statement signing, despite his popularity with many fans and the value he will bring. But if he – or some other player – were a true statement signing, Chelsea’s summer will still be a failure if they fail to keep Eden Hazard at the club. They are up against a lot forces impelling Hazard to move. No Champions League football. Hazard flirting with his dream move to Real Madrid. Ronaldo moving to Juventus and freeing up the left-wing spot. Real Madrid’s history of buying the best player of the World Cup.
Convincing Eden Hazard to stay requires the club and Maurizio Sarri show him a definite plan. They have to show Hazard how they plan to surround him with world-class players, play attacking football and – most importantly – restore Chelsea to Champions League glory in the near future.
Next: French players bring medals to Chelsea despite Didier Deschamps
And they have to do all that despite interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid splashed all over papers for the past month and the month ahead.