Football’s skill at looking a gift horse in the mouth is well documented.
But Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will only have himself to blame if he doesn’t move for Michael Emenalo to fill the Technical Director-shaped hole in his set-up at Stamford Bridge.
The club is drifting. This summer is crucial. Decisions made now will determine whether or not Chelsea can stave off a sustained period of underachievement. What cannot be doubted are the facts. Emenalo resigned in 2017, the year that Chelsea last lifted a Premier League title under Antonio Conte. Third place has been their highest finish since.
As chief negotiator Marina Granovskaia, chairman Bruce Buck and Technical and Performance Advisor, Petr Cech exit stage left, they head out with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively on free transfers.
Romelu Lukaku is back at Inter Milan for a loan fee of £8million - a year after he was signed for £97.5million. Kepa has failed to justify his staggering, £72million outlay, having failed to get a regular Premier League game. Timo Werner cost £45million in 2020 but could now be used as a makeweight in a deal for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Hakim Ziyech cost £38million from Ajax but could be heading to AC Milan on loan. Chelsea’s move for Raheem Sterling and even their interest in his Manchester City squad-mate Olegsandr Zinchenko suggest they are rummaging through the squads of their Premier League rivals when their recruitment during the days of Emenalo was best in class.
Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, N’golo Kante and Cesc Azpilicueta - to name just a few - were all brought to the club on his watch.
Jose Mourinho may not have played a young Mohamed Salah but it was Emenalo who brought him to Stamford Bridge. Likewise Kevin de Bruyne and Champions League-winning Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois.
The simmering groundswell of opinion among Chelsea fans is that while the likes of Michael Edwards - soon to depart from Liverpool - have established themselves as top talent spotters, Emenalo’s return would enable Boehly to hit the ground running.
Emenalo’s decade at Stamford Bridge coincided with the club lifting three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Europa League and, in 2012, the Champions League.
Chelsea’s Youth Team lifted six times in eight seasons during that spell. They’ve won just one, in 2018, since. Some of the Blues’ rising stars went on to win the Under-17 World Cup with England. These days some see their futures at other academies.
Emenalo masterminded an academy and international youth network which instigated a policy of loaning young players out to gain first-team football at home and abroad.
He worked with the longer term in mind, often saving the club millions. Bring him back and, with Manchester City and Liverpool rebuilding their sides to renew their rivalry across English football’s three biggest competitions and the Champions League, Chelsea could get themselves back into the conversation.
Look elsewhere and Boehly really will be looking a gift horse in the mouth.
