Chelsea Spend £40 million on Right Back!

Andrew McNair investigates the enormous spending by Chelsea FC. Nothing too surprising there, but £40m for a right back? Surely not!

by Andrew McNair (Senior Writer)

25 comments

965 reads

May 12, 2008

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This article has not been edited yet.

Chelsea have today had an offer accepted for FC Porto and Portugal right back, Jose Bosingwa (25). The fee shall be in the region of £16.2m.

It's a lot of money in today's transfer market for a right back, but we shouldn't be too surprised.

The position of right back has become one of Chelsea's problem areas under Roman Abramovich and he has now thrown a staggering £40 m at the position in just five years!

Funny, considering long time assistant Steve Clarke was a more than capable right back.

Firstly, Glen Johnson, signed from West Ham United for £6m. Sadly, after a promising start, he failed to live up to expectations at Chelsea. The Englishman has since moved on to Portsmouth, where he has signed a permanent deal.

The 23-year old has re-found the form of his early career and will take his place in Fabio Capello's next England squad after being called up by the Italian yesterday.

He was followed to Stamford Bridge by the previous Porto and Portugal full back, Paulo Ferriera. £13.2m was a total overspend, and the defender has never justified such a price tag.

Ferriera (29) has been in and out of the team over the years, both at right and left back. He signed a new five-year contract not too long ago, and his future at Chelsea seems assured, even if it's in a bit part role.

Last summer, Jose Mourinho looked to Juliano Belletti of Barcelona as his next first-choice right back. The former Villarreal player signed for a reported £4.6m and has made the full back position his own this season.

Interestingly though, with Ferriera's contract extension and the likelihood of Bosingwa joining the club, it doesn't look too rosy a future for the 31-year old Brazilian.

Bosingwa's fee takes total spending to £40m, and one can only think he will struggle to justify such a fee. He won't have too much problem becoming Chelsea's first-choice right back though, but as those mentioned above have already discovered:

It's a hell of a job trying to keep it!

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comments (25) write a comment »

reply to comment by Salomon
2 months ago

Just wrote an article on Boswinga. I completely agree that we've vastly over-spend and carelessly so on right backs.

I like your disguised, stand-out headline though lol....
1. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  Thanks Salomon. Hope a tabloid editor is reading:P I'm your man haha
2. by Ian
  from 2 months ago
  
  Moneys no object when it come to high level football, if you want to play with the big boys!!!!
  
  Chelsea for the title next season!!!
3. by Ken
  from 2 months ago
  
  This is a win-win for chelsea drive up the price of players therefore only the big four can compete with you for top talent and get a rightback
reply to comment by Kiran
2 months ago

Chelsea and Real Madrid are the principle reasons for the increasing wages and transfer fees of players who dont really deserve it....eg.Ashley Cole
1. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  In all fairness overspending has been around for longer than Chelsea have been title contenders.
reply to comment by Jon
2 months ago

Like Salomon said - ace headline have to say it drew me in even though I knew the deal was £16m! A portuguese journalist spoke to the BBC saying it was a ridiculous sum of money for the player and that he thought Ferreira was better - not that I've seen Bosingwa play but he must be pretty good to justify that sum.
reply to comment by Andrew
2 months ago

Thanks for the pick Jonathan. I've seen him play but can't say I've taken much notice. I'm also sure he isn't worth more than 8 or 9 haha
reply to comment by Michael
2 months ago

Amazing. Chelsea fail to the title so they spend, again. United went four years without the title, but fergie decided to spend on a couple of players, but develop them over some years, and now we have two title back-to-back. Success cannot be bought, I think someone needs to tell that to Ambramovich.

Good article yet again mate.
1. by Salomon
  from 2 months ago
  
  Thats such a typical response when Chelsea sign someone. Are you going to be saying that everytime they buy a player ?
  
  The team that won the title in 02/03 is different from the team that won it yesterday. Are you saying United "developed" the current players they have? Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha, Evra.
2. by preet
  from 2 months ago
  
  People should get their facts right before the start opening their mouths. Man united has spent more on players than any other players over the last two years .At 555 million pounds its one of the most expensive squads in the world. So Michael you need to know success generally has to be be bought. At least that's the case for Man u anyway.
3. by Marcus
  from 2 months ago
  
  I think that Ronaldo's development and Utd's new depth have really saved Fergie that past two seasons....Anyway, Michael you should write an article and develop your thoughts more on this one.
4. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  Thanks for the kind words Michael.
reply to comment by Shyam
2 months ago

I'm quite surprised that Roman has allowed Grant to spend 16.2 mil on a right back when that was almost the total amount expended last summer by Mourinho.. Chelsea do have a right back problem - I don't think Ferreira is favoured and they used Essien for long periods.. but 16.2 million on a right back is quite funny.. sounds like a Real Madrid signing..
1. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  Do I really think Grant has anything to do with this signing? No I doubt it to be honest.
2. by Chris
  from 2 months ago
  
  Grant wouldnt have had any say in the transfer, such is the set-up at Chelsea board level. Ultimately that is what led to Mourinhos departure.
reply to comment by Simon
2 months ago

This just proves how Chelsea are in a league of their own in the money stakes, and why it is so difficult for anyone other Man Utd to compete.

Utd could probably afford to spend £16m on one right back if they had to, but the manager would have to get it right first time, not spend £40m in 5 years. Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest can only dream of spending £16m on a defender. Skrtel is Liverpool's most expensive defender EVER and he 'only' cost £6m, Agger was £5m, Finnan £3m, Arbeloa £3m etc etc.

Yet people still have this idea that Liverpool and Arsenal have 'failed' if they finish below Chelsea and Utd. You couldn't make it up.
1. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  I hope Arsenal's new stadium and Liverpool's when it's finally built can help them get closer to these two financial giants.
  
  I could also have mentioned Man Utd haven't needed to buy a right back in over 10 years...quite a saving at 8 mill a year haha.
  
  Fair point about the 'failed' issue but football is football played on the park. Well at least it's nice to think like that.
reply to comment by Simon
2 months ago

the first sentence should read other than man utd. doh!
reply to comment by Michael
2 months ago

Carrick, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha, Evra and Vidic are all players that yes, United have spent quite a bit of dosh on, but have all been developed and improved by fergie at old trafford. It does amaze that people consider third and fourth place a failur for arsenal or liverpool. 16.2 mill is quite a lot of money for a defender, but remember everyone wanted to spend over 30 mill on buffon?
reply to comment by Michael
2 months ago

Sorry preet, but get YOUR facts right mate. United won 6 of 10 titles with kids all from the youth team. solksjaer cost 1.5 mill. united have spent on players and kept them, even when they went four years without a title. think before you write a comment bruv.

6 of the 10 titles with kids. Success has to be bought? just no, ok. we proved alan hansen wrong on that one

`you'll never win anything with kids` haha, how wrong could he have been?
1. by Salomon
  from 2 months ago
  
  lol Michael, Im sure Alan Hansen was referring to Arsenal and not United with that comment. Btw, are you saying the likes of Drogba, Carvalho, Kalou, Lampard, Terry havent become the players they are now, at Chelsea?? Drogba was a "talent" when he arrived and is now a world class player, which even you cant deny. Same could be said of Carvalho, Lamps, Terry, Kalou, Joe Cole (would he have gotten into the England squad at West ham?)..
  
  Why cant you accept the fact that Chelsea have money and when they feel they need to strengthen the squad, they spend. When Roman joined the scene and Chelsea won two titles in a row, United knew they had to spend to keep up with Chelsea, hence thats what they did...
  
  Most of United's current first 11, joined the club after 2005, am I right Michael??
reply to comment by Marcus
2 months ago

Andrew- I love the way your articles get people to banter back and forth...Just remember the little people and try to keep a level head (not saying you have a big one) when you hopefully make it in the business.
1. by Andrew
  from 2 months ago
  
  Thanks very much Marcus. I appreciate that a lot.
reply to comment by Michael
2 months ago

Yeah, they did, and alan hansen made that comment in 1994 i believe. i think it was after united lost severely after fergie put out mostly kids in a premier league game. hansen said he was a muppet and that you can never win anything with kids. they included giggs, the nevilles, butt, scholes and beckham. United won the season by a large amount. I may be wrong with the season, i was probably only 4 or 5 so my meory can be excused lol.

I may write an article on this debate, I may not. Whether I find the time with medical issues or not.