Jamie Carragher has compared Chelsea's current transfer market activities to those of Roman Abramovich in 2003 upon his arrival on the scene in England. The Blues look set to be one of the busiest teams worldwide in January in an attempt to give Graham Potter extra resources for the rest of the campaign.
Having fallen to ninth after opening 2023 with a disappointing draw to Nottingham Forest, Potter has only gotten one win in the last seven and has a dreadful record without Reece James in the side. Competition for him is expected to come in before the month is done.
Elsewhere Enzo Fernandez is edging closer to a league record move from Benfica after efforts to sign the 21-year-old were stepped up after the World Cup's conclusion. He will cost over £106million and takes up a large chunk of the budget this year but isn't stopping ambitious co-owner Todd Boehly from pushing for more transfers.
READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister sends Arsenal and Chelsea clear transfer message amid January links
Abramovich's first year in charge saw money spent on 11 new signings in the summer of 2003 before an additional 10 in 2004 with a combined total of around £300million. With inflation taken into consideration that is nearly £500million in today's money. Boehly has already spent over £250million in his first summer on eight new players.
David Datro Fofana is already confirmed, with Andrey Santos expected to join as well. Christopher Nkunku has an agreement to join at the end of the season, matching Abramovich's 11 players in one year and also surpassing the spend too - and that's without taking Fernandez into consideration.
Carragher has joined the line of people expecting an active window. He said: "It may be Chelsea because every time I pick up a paper it looks like they're buying someone like they're going for every single player in the world.
"It takes me back to when Roman Abramovich first came in. I thought with him leaving it might be the end of that, but it doesn't seem to be the case with the new regime at Chelsea and it looks like they're willing to throw the money about and bring the top players to the club.
"That's what Chelsea have been used to for the last 10-15 years, I thought it may stop a little but no: it looks like Todd Boehly and his team are scouting the Earth for players and expect them to be busy."
Although the comments were mainly tongue-in-cheek, they matched the opinion of Gary Neville over the summer after the Sky pundit described Boehly as like he was playing Football Manager in what is now a famous clip of the ex-Manchester United fullback. He said: "The American guy [Todd] Boehly, looks like he wants to play Football Manager.
"He's wandering around a little bit and they're a bit panicky now. They're almost like bouncing around because it feels like he has to do something. You're wondering, 'Oh they’re coming in for [Frenkie] de Jong this morning', because he feels like he has to do something, that pressure is on him.
"He wouldn't have had that pressure if he'd have kept the people that have been there before and just let them operate for a year or two, but it'll be an interesting season for Chelsea.
"I'm hearing his [Boehly] name too much. It feels like, it's not to be disrespectful, you know he's a prominent guy, he's just bought the club and everything. He's fronted a fund that's paid two and a half billion quid, but to get rid of all that football operation that's been unbelievable for that many years and come in and do it yourself, it does feel like Ed Woodward that to me. We'll see it develop."
Although the summer was a very different setting to now there is the same buzz around Boehly and Chelsea with their financial capabilities, but Neville wasn't convinced by their transfer decisions, adding: "I mean, look, let’s be clear, firstly - they're [Chelsea] reacting to what's available and what other clubs are doing. You look at what Manchester City and Liverpool are doing, [Txiki] Begiristain at City is their sporting director. Some people might not even know that.
"Some people do know that, but some people never even hear him, never even see him but they get their business done quickly and efficiently. When clubs are working well, you don't hear who's signing the players, you just sign them.
"Chelsea have got that sort of, Manchester United under the Glazers, Ed Woodward, 'I'm taking over, I'm the man now, I'm going to go out and basically buy the players'. And then they're linked with every player that Barcelona want, every player that City want, every player that United want."
The Blues have moved quickly with Fernandez to bypass possible competition for his signing with Liverpool also interested in him.
READ NEXT:
Koulibaly replaced, Ziyech steps up – Three Chelsea changes Graham Potter must make vs Man City
Chelsea agree £33.6m Benoit Badiashile transfer amid London medical as personal terms agreed
Chelsea have chance to repeat Reece James and Mason Mount trick with Vincent Kompany's approval
Declan Rice signs, Champions League failure, Graham Potter worry - Chelsea 2023 predictions
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
