Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Jake Stokes

Neil Bath has already told new Chelsea owners why Thomas Tuchel must prioritise £41m Cobham gems

Chelsea are fast-approaching a highly-anticipated summer transfer window, with the west London club's takeover deadline passed. Todd Boehly's consortium, Stephen Pagliuca and a group headed by Sir Martin Broughton - joined by Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton - remain in the running after the Ricketts family withdrew their proposal.

Football.london understands that Rain Group, which are overseeing the Blues' sale, will present the best offers to the UK Government. The US Bank will supposedly decide on who is the best fit to step in as Chelsea's next owner.

While Roman Abramovich is not set to receive any money from the sale as a result of the sanctions, he is expected to have a say on who ultimately succeeds him at Stamford Bridge. The Russian billionaire has outlined two clear instructions for who he hands the reins over to; be consistent and ensure you are bringing benefit to the surrounding communities.

READ MORE: Why Thomas Tuchel got angry with Cesar Azpilicueta as growing Chelsea problem requires quick fix

"First of all, is when you say something, you have to always follow through," Abramovich said in a rare interview with Forbes back in 2021. "And, I guess, that is especially if you're a person who doesn't say much. So, what you do say is very important.

"Second, football is society. Football is part of society, and society is part of football. So, it's the natural state of things for football to be involved, support the community, and be present in the community."

A promise that has already been tabled to Chelsea fans is one by Boehly's consortium. The American billionaire has pledged to recreate the model put in place by FSG at Liverpool, according to The Athletic.

Jurgen Klopp's side have enjoyed success under their stewardship, winning the Champions League, a Carabao Cup and the club's first Premier League title. Liverpool have also made a habit of making shrewd signings while also knowing when to put money where their mouth is.

Bohely will, naturally, be keen to kickstart his Chelsea tenure on the right foot, should his bid prove successful. While transfers may swamp the headlines in the coming months, the Blues' Head of Youth Development has already explained how the club can draw great success from the academy.

Speaking to the Chelsea club media in 2019, Neil Bath said: "Being grounded and empathetic is a big part of our culture, and sometimes it's hard to get the right balance when you're also promoting an elite, winning mentality where players need to be mentally tough to reach the top."

'The culture has to be built organically over a long time, you can't just click your fingers and create it," he added. "You have to stick to your values, live them every day and sometimes make tough decisions if you have the wrong people showing the wrong characteristics because that undermines everything and everyone.

"When you get the right culture in place, it becomes much easier because the players and staff police the building and the environment becomes self-serving."

Taking Bath's words of wisdom into accordance, Chelsea could welcome back and offer significant first-team roles to Cobham graduates Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Levi Colwill. The trio, who are valued at a combined £41m by Transfermarkt, have impressed on loan this season and each warrants as much of an opportunity as any player that the new owners could look to sign in the summer.

With this in mind, Tuchel and the west London side's next owner must secure the futures of Gallagher, Broja and Colwill before any signings are made. Cobham training ground is named 'La Cobham' for a reason.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.