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Asmir Begovic, former player for Chelsea, has called the Blues a mid-table team and expressed disbelief over the club’s hiring.
The goalie also questioned Todd Boehly’s decision to oversee a transition phase after taking over.
Even after spending more than £1 billion since taking over last year, Begovic thinks Chelsea’s team is still just of mid-table caliber.
“I mean in the last 12 months,” he said, according to The Byline podcast. How is the Chelsea Football Club doing? It’s really unbelievable.
“I’m talking about the player roster at Pochettino’s disposal, and the amount of money invested is mid-table, ranking 12th in the league! The exact middle of the table. You would be performing miracles if the standards were any higher.
“I understand that you’ve had some [poor] luck with [Christopher] Nkunku because he’s a fantastic player. Cole Palmer just entered the building. But why are these players being recruited in the first place? Why are the Chelsea Football Club making changes?
“Why is the Chelsea Football Club going through a change? One of the best is this. I’ve actually been there. I’m honored to have attended. One of the best places in the world to play football is there.
Begovic, 36, admitted he does not know many of the new Chelsea players and believes the team should have sought out elite players like Declan Rice.
The QPR player, who won the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, asserts that if Chelsea had made Rice a signing offer, Rice would have chosen the Blues over Arsenal.
“Surely you spend $120 million on Declan Rice if you’re spending £115 million on Caicedo,” Begovic continued.
I don’t personally know Declan, and I’m not suggesting he doesn’t want to play for Arsenal, but I have a gut feeling he would have preferred to join Chelsea.
“When you look at some of these players, you wonder, ‘How is Declan Rice going somewhere else?'” In the past, players like this—players in their prime, and Declan Rice is one of those players—would move to Chelsea.