Blues to continue spending
Chelsea will not stop splashing the cash on big-name players even though Frank Arnesen has taken control over the youth set-up at Stamford Bridge.
The Dane quit Tottenham for Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea in a controversial move during the summer as the Blues look to snap up the footballing stars of tomorrow.
Arnesen’s worldwide scouting network is believed to be unrivalled and he has been responsible for spotting some of the world’s greatest players – including Brazilian Ronaldo.
He joined Spurs along with Dutchman Martin Jol and French coach Jacques Santini in summer 2004 but the trio soon became a double act when Santini abruptly quit his post last season.
Jol was immediately given the managerial job and the pair looked set to revolutionise Spurs until Chelsea made Arnesen an offer he could not resist.
His contract at Stamford Bridge is reputed to be worth around €12m and he has already set about the task of making sure at least one player from the youth academy makes the progression to the first team on an annual basis.
Chelsea’s first-team squad currently has four players who have risen through the ranks of the youth team.
Captain and England international John Terry is by far the most successful but he is followed by German international Robert Huth, third-choice goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley and England Under-21 striker Carlton Cole.
Billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has turned the club into champions with a host of expensive stars – the latest of which is record £24.4million buy Michael Essien.
But if Chelsea’s rivals thought that Arnesen’s arrival meant a switch from such a big-spending policy to one more concerned with the sole development of young players, then they are very much mistaken.
There is no doubt Chelsea would love to unearth another player of the calibre of Terry and to that end they have played the starring role in Sky One’s new TV reality programme ‘Football Icon’.
The programme is the greatest football talent search ever undertaken in Britain. In an initiative supported by Chelsea’s top management, thousands of trialists hope they will be the one to land the top prize of a professional contract with the club.
The programme gets under way on Sunday at 7pm but while the nationwide search will eventually narrow the talent down to one individual, Arnesen is quick to point out that the days of Chelsea’s big spending are not set to end just yet.
“We do have to buy players like Real Madrid and AC Milan so we can’t say our philosophy is just to use young players,” conceded Arnesen.
“We will bring players in from outside and inside but it is up to me and the academy to make sure the players are good enough.
“I have confidence in my staff to spot the right people. Everyone who knows me knows I have learned the culture of whichever club I’ve worked at.
“My job at Chelsea is 75% football and 25% administration, it was more admin at Spurs.
“Chelsea have been the most exciting club in the world in the last two years and I’ve seen more football in the last month and a half than in the last year.”
Arnesen is clearly enjoying his new role but insists that he does not have a daily chat to coach Jose Mourinho about his plans.
“We don’t talk daily,” said Arnesen. “But we have to know each other’s thoughts. When Roman Abramovich came here he wanted to get Chelsea up to a good level as quickly as possible and he invested a lot of money.
“He and Peter Kenyon told me that was step one and the next step was to make sure we bring good people through the ranks.”
Arnesen says he left Spurs on good terms despite acrimonious words from both sides as protracted negotiations about his settlement rumbled on.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy asked Arnesen not to talk about his defection during the summer and the Dane was as good as his word.
“I took the decision to go because I thought it was the best for me,” said Arnesen. “I was at Spurs Lodge until August 31, working and giving them my thoughts. I still have very good contact with the people at Tottenham.”
