What do Bayern Munich and Juventus know that Chelsea does not?

Bayern Munich and Juventus are the world’s best run clubs. So what do they know that Chelsea does not in this current transfer merry-go-round?

Many will mistake Bayern Munich and Juventus’ league success as simply having the best players in the Bundesliga or Serie A. And while that is true, it was not a phenomenon that happened all of a sudden one day. For the last decade or more, the two have systematically made the correct decision on players and managers every single time. They are the best run clubs in the world and their league dominance is a result of that.

So when a club like Chelsea finds themselves involved with either, they need to ask what Bayern Munich and Juventus know that they do not. What is it that Bayern Munich sees in Callum Hudson-Odoi? And why has Juventus been so willing to offload a striker who has the goal scoring rate of Gonzalo Higuain’s last few seasons? And what of Juventus sniffing around Emerson (again)?

Bayern Munich’s strategy has largely been to buy young players just before they have their big breakthrough. Usually they target players already in the Bundesliga but occasionally they venture out. Hudson-Odoi falls into this category.

The young English winger barely has professional experience, but Bayern is willing to bet on him. Not just bet on him, they are willing to show him a clear path to starting for one of the best clubs in the world. Chelsea’s reaction so far has been to dig in and Maurizio Sarri (partially due to necessity) has started to play him more. But the Bayern business started before all that.

As for Juventus, they have been very willing to offload Higuain and they are now linked to Emerson (perhaps in connection to a Higuain deal). Emerson was a target for them when it appeared as though Alex Sandro would be leaving (ironically for Chelsea). Sandro is still there and they still allegedly want Emerson.

Where Juventus has excelled has been not in buying youth before they breakthrough (though they do a fair bit of that), but in finding seemingly broken toys and making them into stars. Many of the players that Juventus has made into key figures were surplus at other big clubs. Juventus saw something in those players and turned the other clubs’ trash into their treasure.

But they have been very willing to push Higuain off elsewhere. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo coming in was a big part of that, but perhaps they saw that Higuain had already started a downward trajectory. It is easy to excuse his form at AC Milan being due to a lack of service. But a lack of service alone is not enough to go from where he was to where he is now.

As for Emerson, he seems as though he would perfectly fit the bill for Juventus turning a broken toy into a luxury item. Emerson has not been trusted enough to be a starter by any of his managers since his injury. But there was a reason why Juventus was scouting him out to replace Sandro and why they might still be interested.

In short, Bayern Munich and Juventus are not clubs that make mistakes in the transfer market. Chelsea, meanwhile, is a club that frequently makes mistakes in the market. So when they are on the other side of a Bayern Munich or Juventus deal, they should pay great attention to what is going on.

The Blues may very well find Higuain the player they need. They may opt to let Juventus have Emerson as part of it. They may allow Hudson-Odoi to go to Bayern for a huge fee for an 18 year old that has barely played. But they should not be surprised if Higuain flops and Emerson and Hudson-Odoi turn into world beaters within a year. Juventus and Bayern have shown they know what they are doing. Chelsea needs to show the same and the historical data is not kind.