Exclusive: Chelsea already reaping benefit of change in transfer policy

Today at 11:30 AM

Our writer Simon Phillips' latest piece on his Substack is all about a change in Chelsea's transfer policy.

According to the insider, the recruitment team this summer focused very deliberately on picking players with the right mentalities -and we're seeing the benefits of that already.

This has become a "very important factor in Chelsea's recent recruitment," Phillips' "sources have heard this week."

"Chelsea want players who are not going to come in and cause problems and moan if they are not playing. They want them to come in and understand that this is a big club and there is going to be healthy competition," Phillips wrote.

"There are no egos, and they have worked hard to build up a team environment, something else you can see on the pitch right now with players willing their team mates to do well."

Second string warm up for long season of intense competition

Well, either that decision has paid off right away, or it was made just in time. Because the second string got their season started properly on Tuesday with a dominant win over Barrow, following something of a false start in the 2 qualifying games against Servette in the Europa Conference League.

In that team you've got players like Christopher Nkunku scoring a hattrick – but knowing they likely won't start this weekend. Pedro Neto pointed out on Tuesday that "here, I have to work even more or maybe I'll not play because the coach will rotate the players. It makes you play even better because you know that you have to work."

You'd better hope they've all got the right mentality that they just have to earn their first team place – otherwise we will become victims of our own success as unhappy stars grow frustrated by a lack of Premier League opportunities.