Blues keen to recruit 'exciting younger players'
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insists the Blues are determined to keep building for the future despite targeting high-profile experienced players this summer.
Germany midfielder Michael Ballack has already joined the Premiership champions and Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, who will turn 30 later this year, is now top of the wanted list.
However, Kenyon has revealed Chelsea will also be looking to recruit a couple of “very exciting younger players” to groom for future glory.
“We have evolved to the stage where we are back-to-back champions and we should not underestimate what an achievement that is, particularly in a domestic league like the English Premiership. How do you improve on that?” Kenyon told Chelsea TV.
“It was felt what we wanted to do was bring in a different type of player. Michael Ballack fits that bill, the likes of a Shevchenko fit that bill. That type of player comes with an age and comes with an experience, probably outside the Premier League.
“There has not been a great shift in what we are wanting to do and if we get both those players, I guarantee that we will also have two very exciting younger players that will be the future of Chelsea.
“There will be a continued development of our youth – more Diarras – the best in their class at their age. They will be added to the team with some older players.”
Kenyon also remains adamant there is a limit to the amount of money Chelsea are prepared to invest in signing new players and keeping the Stamford Bridge wage bill in check.
He added: “Most definitely we have got a wage structure and as is normal there have been gross exaggerations over what Ballack is being paid.
“Like anyone else’s salary, that is confidential and I am certainly not going to disclose it, but I am confident Michael is signing for us on a salary that is commensurate with what he is as a player and is within the wages structure we have adopted in the last two years at Chelsea.
“The first thing we did when I arrived was get a grip on the size of the squad. We were getting accused of almost collecting players and it was about getting the squad down to a size that was manageable.
“The ambitions of this club are to do well in all four competitions so you need more than 15 players but I am not sure you need 35. We sat down with Jose, talked about it and we thought the 23-24 mark was about right. The first year I came we moved 14 players out and brought eight in.
“Achieving that was the first piece of business. It is then about the mix. You are going to have three goalkeepers and you would like two or three young boys coming through. Diarra is a great example of that.
“That leaves you with 15-17 players that could be available for any game, depending on who we are playing, injuries and suspensions. That is about right. Within that you have a range of salaries. That is what we have achieved and that is what we are going to maintain.”
