Chelsea: Todd Boehly reveals why he signed Marc Cucurella as transfer update issued | OneFootball

Blues chairman insists he has full faith in co-sporting directors despite fan criticism

Todd Boehly has revealed that he only signed Marc Cucurella because he knew Manchester City were interested in him first.

But, as executives left Stamford Bridge en masse following Clearlake’s takeover, the American was named the club’s interim sporting director, despite having no prior experience working in football.

He spent heavily during his first summer window, splashing over £200million to bring in Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Leicester’s Wesley Fofana, and Brighton’s Cucurella alone.

Speaking at an IConnections event this week, though, Boehly revealed that given his lack of football expertise, his transfer strategy was largely centred on his rivals’ targets.

He said: "Obviously, having taken over in the circumstances that we did, basically the whole management team left. I was stuck being interim Sporting Director for a summer, having no idea what made a good football player.

“But knowing that Marc Cucurella, if Man City wanted him, I want him. It was really simple that way.”

Of the 12 permanent signings Chelsea made in summer 2022, only three remain at the club: Cucurella, Fofana, and third-string goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.

Last men standing: Of the 12 players Chelsea signed in summer of 2022, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are two of three still at the club

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Most of those additions underwhelmed in west London. Koulibaly left for Saudi Arabia after one error-strewn campaign, while Sterling was released this January after being exiled from Chelsea’s first-team. He subsequently joined PSV Eindhoven as a free agent.

Boehly continued, adding that he was confident in Chelsea’s long-term future under the direction of co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart - despite fan criticism of their transfer strategy.

“The reality of it is that you have a plan and you stick to it, and when you get new information, you pivot and you adjust, and you’re not shameful about adjusting with new information, but you can’t flip-flop.

“You can’t be trying to build something that really is about execution over long periods of time and building an infrastructure and a foundation that you can just continue to work with.

“I think finding those right elements, the first time at anything is tricky, so you’re going to make mistakes.”