Chelsea transfer news as Todd Boehly gets three clear messages after summer business with loan rules proving an issue
Club Brugge manager Ronny Deila has opened up on his thoughts on teenage sensation Antonio Nusa after the Chelsea target remained in Belgium rather than making a move to the Premier League this summer. Nusa, 18, was the subject of a late bid of around £25million as he became the next big fantasy for new Blues owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
It continues a mass recruitment drive that has been led since January 2023 with the average age of incomings gradually decreasing. Over the summer window that number was down at less than 21, leaving the squad available to Mauricio Pochettino extremely baby-faced.
"I don't want to think about that. I think it is good for him to stay," he said. "In his first two seasons here he did not play much, now he will do so regularly. He can also bring a lot to the team.
"I'm looking forward to helping him develop. Playing European football here and competing for trophies is the best development he can get. And as soon as he feels ready to take the step to the top, he will choose something else."
Earlier this year Chelsea's owners purchased RC Strasbourg for around £65million in a bid to kick-start their process of shipping out players to effective feeder clubs like the Red Bull Group or City Football Group. It is yet to fully take shape though with Gabriel's loan the only current link, though promising defender Issa Sylla is also thought to be on the radar for Chelsea as he progresses in France.
“I already knew that it wasn’t going to happen, but then the money came on the table. Then it’s seen in a slightly different way. We had to have another conversation when the money arrived, but we were on the same page, so there was no problem there. I knew what to do anyway, so it was fine."
He also explained how it felt to be on the receiving end of such a bid despite only scoring four senior goals for Brugge. "That’s a lot of money. A lot of money," he admitted. "But I try not to think about it so much. I can’t focus on that, you know. I don’t think it’s good for me.
“We are talking about very big clubs and that’s where you dream of being in the future. I try not to think about money at all. There’s a lot of money in football, so that’s not what’s on my mind. It’s where I can develop best and become as good as possible.”
Development, such a key part of a young player's movement within the game, is now of even more heightened importance to the rise in player trading. It is an aspect that Chelsea have tried to tap into under the new regime, shown by their £270million of sales over the summer window alone, but is also potentially warning off those they wish to sign.
"Frankfurt was close, more so than Chelsea. I spoke with the manager there [Dino Toppmöller]. He speaks French and that was important for me. They had to wait for Randal Kolo Muani’s departure and waiting for it was too complicated. I don’t have any regrets."
Lesley Ugochukwu, who did make the move as a teenage sensation to SW6 over the summer, had a different way of seeing it. "I was attracted by what they wanted to do and what they saw in me," he told the club website after signing. "They say I can become a great midfielder, if I put in the work and everything goes well.
"It's up to me to prove that I can have my place in the long term. I wanted to take this step. When a club of this stature comes in for you, it’s very difficult to refuse. In any team, you are not sure you will play."
However, instead of preferring to develop elsewhere before a big move, he chose the course that the Blues are hoping more will follow down the line. "When I arrived at Chelsea, I knew where I was going. It's up to you to prove yourself, to show that you deserve your place," he admitted. "Personally, I have never been afraid of competition. I have been learning with very good players like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who is the same age as me. It's up to me to go and get the most minutes.
"What I am learning at Chelsea, on a daily basis and during games, will allow me to strengthen myself and mature in my game. When you are young, you have to play, of course, but I feel ready to fight for earn my place.
"I have great confidence in myself, in my qualities, in what I can do. I know that if I do things correctly, everything will go as planned. I have the trust of the club, of the staff, that’s what pushed me to say to myself: Go for it! If they came for you, it’s because you have the qualities."