Mauricio Pochettino calls for change to Chelsea's transfer policy
- Chelsea have prioritised signing of young players since Todd Boehly & Clearlake Capital took over
- Pochettino wants more experience added to his struggling squad
- Blues boss also eyeing talks over Chelsea's injury issues
By Tom Gott
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged the club's owners to recruit more experienced players this summer to compliment his current crop of youngsters.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have heavily favoured the signing of young players with high potential since their arrival at Stamford Bridge, spending huge sums of money in the hope of creating a squad capable of dominating for the next decade.
The short-term results, however, have fallen well short of expectations, and Pochettino believes his young core need more experienced heads around them to keep them on track.
"We can keep going in the same way with the policy [to sign young players]," Pochettino said. "But in the squad, we have Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Bettinelli. Maybe Marcus isn't playing but he does a fantastic job helping the young guys.
"We have experienced players in the squad. It is not going against the project to have some players who are helping the young guys to perform, to be professional, and to understand what it means to be in the Premier League and to be at Chelsea.
"We need to talk and decide the strategy for next season."
90min understands the plan has always been for Chelsea's owners to meet with Pochettino this summer for what sources describe as a two-way evaluation, with both sides to be given the chance to give feedback on the current campaign.
Pochettino is expected to raise his desire for more experienced signings alongside questions about Chelsea's ongoing battle with injuries, which the boss believes has hampered the team's progress this season.
"There are too many circumstances that make it difficult for the team to evolve," he continued. "And that is part of the process. Of course, this season is going to help us make the right decisions for next season. That was the question before.
"We need to bring more young players and some experienced players. That is all about talking with the club, analysing, and deciding the strategy for next season. That is really important.
"We need to assess all the boys. Why were players injured, will they suffer injuries in the future, and what is the history of their injuries?
"It's so important because we need to manage the situation. Now, we have the reality because we are inside and have the information. And now it is about talking to the club and deciding the best strategy again to be competitive next season and to fight for big things."