There are many things that Roman Abramovich leaves as part of his legacy as owner of Chelsea Football Club. Though trophies are one thing, perhaps the growth of the Cobham Academy can be seen as one of his greatest achievements with the Blues.
Cobham has brought through a number of youngsters that have been able to excel on the big stage, be that for Chelsea or elsewhere. You only have to take a look at the recent England Men’s senior squad to see the impact, with six of the 25 coming through the academy, with many more still progressing through the youth ranks.
That is the legacy left behind and one that will have to be picked up by the new owners, given just how important it is to operations. As per a CIES report, Chelsea have the eighth most profitable academy system in the world with €210million (£176million) made since 2015, leading the way for English clubs too.
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That’s all without looking at the first-team and potential prospects coming through. Mason Mount, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Callum Hudson-Odoi all play crucial roles in the senior squad currently.
Add someone like Armando Broja, currently impressing on-loan at Southampton, potentially coming into the fold, while others like Ian Maatsen and Levi Colwill also impress in the Championship. It sets up a more sustainable future for the club, if they are to cut spending elsewhere.
Funding in the academy is a crucial step for the next owners, whoever they may be, with Abramovich previously outlining a dream of his in backing it. Eddie Newton, who was assistant manager to Roberto di Matteo as well as a regular in working with youngsters, explained the goal.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “They will always have a real interest in bringing young players through and that comes directly from the owner, Roman Abramovich. He envisages winning Champions Leagues and Premier Leagues with six-seven homegrown players and adding a few stars/experienced stars around it to win multiple trophies, year after year. That is the dream.
“But to get there is very difficult in the modern day. It’s more difficult when you are at the highest end of the football spectrum, more difficult to run academies and feed players into your first team. The pressure is always on a manager to succeed, even if you’re well established. The reliance is always on a senior player in the eyes of a manager.
“He (Abramovich) has put a lot of money and work into the academy and wants to see the fruits of his labour.”
It shows the work that Abramovich has done to get the club in the position it is in. However, the future may depend just as much on the academy as it does on signings when the new owners take charge.