Ben Jacobs is hooked up with great sources at Chelsea. Now it seems like he’s built some connections in Saudi Arabia too.
Today he published a long thread all about the league’s plans for this summer, and it’s all desperately important for Chelsea, who will once again hope to rely on the wealthiest clubs there to bail out their past mistakes.
🧵 Away from Mo Salah news, understand Saudi dealmakers hoping for 5-6 marquee signings this summer. Around £2bn allocated for transfer/agent fees plus wages.
Kevin De Bruyne a target but feeling remains he’ll stay/extend at #MCFC. De Bruyne hasn’t indicated he wants Saudi.👕 pic.twitter.com/FJG5pwxdQL
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 29, 2024
Jacobs’ long thread outlines the plans of the state-owned Saudi teams for the summer. There are plans for “5-6 marquee signings this summer,” with a budget of £2bn “allocated for transfer/agent fees plus wages.”
Romelu Lukaku was subject of an accepted €45m Al-Hilal bid last summer. Chelsea wanted him to go.
Al-Hilal have other options in mind now, but several Saudi clubs still keen. Al-Shabab and soon-to-be promoted Al-Qadsiah (Aramco-owned) have discussed Lukaku internally.🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/zUwaMdZWfc
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 29, 2024
There are a number of players named as available. Manchester United are hoping to shift some big wages out there, with Casemiro and Raphael Varane both named. Chelsea had great success last summer, with both Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante going, and it sounds like they’re keen to repeat that.
It sounds like they almost did even better – Jacobs reports that they accepted a bid of €45m from Al Hilal for Romelu Lukaku, only for the striker to reject it.
A narrowing window
We won’t see the kind of spending we did in 2023 again it seems, and it’s clear that the majority of these Saudi teams will only look to add one or two stars a year now. Chelsea just have to try and make sure Lukaku is one of them.
After a middling season with Roma, his chances of playing top level Champions League football next season are shrinking, and Chelsea will be hoping that a similar offer to last year is this time more tempting for the Belgian. Jacobs says “several Saudi clubs are still keen” on the striker, and they know if they can get good money for him, that hugely opens up their options for buying players themselves.
Let’s just hope the chelsea owners spend what ever money is available more sensibly, All us Chelsea fans hope the owners have learnt their lesson . Manchester City and Raheem Stirling must been rubbing their hands with glee when Chelsea came knocking , chelsea are now stuck with a has been player on whopping wages , why would he want to leave .
The club has actually trimmed a lot of the salaries with the big money earners gone last season. It’s just the likes of Lukaku and Sterling that’s left. Mount also never got a contract because he was demanding for too much. And Boehly definitely would not mind selling him for pure profit hence the move.