The last time Chelsea had an ambitious new owner, they made a statement of intent from the start. They signed Glen Johnson. Admittedly, Roman Abramovich’s expenditure went far beyond recruiting a young right-back from relegated West Ham. Chelsea spent over £100m in that summer of 2003, a time when it represented an astonishing figure.
Which, as the club itself only cost £140m, it did. Now, with Todd Boehly’s consortium having committed £4.25bn to their takeover, the equivalent might be spending £3bn this summer. Even Paris Saint-Germain may consider that extravagant. A considerable outlay is nonetheless expected. If American owners’ first task is to sound as different from the Glazers as possible, Boehly may have accomplished that. “We're all in – 100 per cent – every minute of every match,” he said. “Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud.” That included “acquiring the best talent,” long a theme in the Abramovich years.
