Newcastle’s takeover by a Saudi-led conglomerate will rattle the Premier League and have a big impact on Chelsea.
The Saudi Arabian takeover at Newcastle has reportedly gotten the Premier League’s approval. The deal will be completed within the next week or so, shaking England’s top flight to its core. Chelsea is now going to have more direct competition for European spots and transfer targets.
Newcastle’s financial overhaul is surely going to elevate the club into the top ranks of English football over the next few years. With Leicester City in the driver’s seat for another Champions League place, as well, the Premier League ranks could be shaken up at the top.
The current big six—Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal—may turn into a big eight within the next few seasons. Newcastle and Leicester represent legitimate top-tier English club candidates if the plans each has laid out come to fruition.
This would make the path to the top four a little bit more rugged for the Blues. Chelsea has struggled to secure a spot in the top four over the last few seasons, with teams at the top only improving. A potential top eight means 14 high-stakes matches as opposed to the 10 games that the big six play against one another currently. With nearly half of the league competing for top four spots, the Premier League will be as competitive as ever.
Further, the Blues will face even more domestic competition for transfers. Look no further than players like Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner at the moment to see the competition for players coming to England. Chelsea, Liverpool, United and City have almost all been seriously linked to both players since rumors speculating their future arose.
Chelsea will have to do an even better job recruiting and pitching its case to potential transfers when Newcastle joins the party. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding Newcastle’s new owners and the impact they’ll have on the rest of the league. However, if things go according to plan and they’re as serious as they say they are, things at the top will get much tighter.
Thus, this summer is incredibly important for clubs like Chelsea. The Blues have an opportunity in the summer window to separate themselves from all Premier League clubs bar Liverpool and City. If they want to remain a constant title contender, now is the time to do so before the new kids on the block come challenging.