'If I was a young player why would I sign for Chelsea?'
Those were the words of former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports after Chelsea's dismal home defeat by Nottingham Forest on Monday.
He was revisiting the claim he made almost two years ago in the summer of 2024 that "players have got to stop signings for Chelsea", after another chaotic transfer window in which the Blues signed 12 players for around £230m – including the fee eventually paid to Manchester United to avoid making the loan signing of Jadon Sancho permanent.
What, if anything, has changed since then?
"My point is, if you're continually buying and selling players you can never create a connection as a team," Carragher said on Monday.
"They buy two wingers every year, so the two they buy the year before – how do they feel?
"How can they build a connection between supporters, players and staff? It's not there."
Last summer in the 2025 summer window, a year on from Carragher's initial claim, the Blues spent around £293m on 10 new additions – including the loan fee paid for Facundo Buonanotte who departed in January.
They actually signed three new wingers; Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao Willian.
It is hard to see Esevao as anything other than a successful investment with the teenager displaying his clear superstar potential in fits and starts during his debut campaign.
Garnacho and Gittens however, despite the latter being out with a hamstring injury since late January, have drawn criticism for their performances, with Garnacho in particular repeatedly linked with a move away already.
Blues fan Charlie Patrick told BBC Sport in January that the duo are “not good enough for Chelsea”.
The graphics below show the Premier League minutes played by last summer's signings, excluding the aforementioned Buonanotte, Kendry Paez who was loaned back to Independiente and Mamadou Sarr who was loaned back to Strasbourg and recalled in January.
The fees exclude potentially substantial add-ons and are out of a potential of 3150 minutes.
Joao Pedro has unquestionably been a success, Estevao has shown his huge potential, and more recently Jorrel Hato has stood out in a struggling side, but it is hard to make a case for any of the other additions having even close to the impact that would have been hoped of them.
While at many clubs a second season would be where a signing's impact and fit is fully assessed, there is nothing currently to suggest Chelsea's owners are slowing down in their relentless pursuit of top young talent.
Therefore, none of these players will be confident that their already limited minutes will increase.
Not only is the connection referenced by Carragher not being established, negative crowd reactions, in particular recently to Garnacho and Delap, are actively damaging relations between squad and supporters.
Considering the already low hit rate, with Pedro Neto the only addition from the 2024 summer window established in the first team and still splitting opinion himself, Carragher's concern over why young players sign for Chelsea appears to be valid.
While long-term contracts with guaranteed wages hold an appeal, surely the lack of success stories will heed caution when the most ambitious talents are looking for their next destination.
