Chelsea owners learn crucial transfer lesson in PSG loss as £98m decision backfires

Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly had front row seats as Chelsea crashed out of the UEFA Champions League

Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly will have learned their lesson following Chelsea's humiliating defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. Since May 2022, when the American consortium took the reins at Stamford Bridge, the Blues have made a conscious effort to sign some of the most exciting young players in the world.

Although the west Londoners have managed to sign the likes of Cole Palmer, they've overlooked many top players. By religiously following a model that seeks to develop world-class potential rather than acquire world-class ability, Chelsea have been left behind by their rivals.

The Blues co-owners paid the ultimate price at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night when Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – two players they could have signed but didn't – fired Luis Enrique's side to victory. The PSG duo ran riot over the two legs, showing Eghbali and Boehly exactly what they missed out on.

football.london understands that Chelsea were interested in signing Barcola in August 2023 before he eventually joined the French giants for just £39m. A year and a half later, the Blues set their sights on Kvaratskhelia when he faced an uncertain future at Napoli, but they were beaten to a deal again by PSG – this time worth only £59m.

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Fast-forward to the present day and the two former Chelsea targets have dumped Liam Rosenior's side out of the Champions League. To rub salt into the wounds, when Cole Palmer was way for Alejandro Garnacho on the hour mark, Enrique replaced Barcola with Desire Doue.

If Eghbali and Boehly want to narrow the gulf in class with PSG, not only must the Blues prioritise quality over potential, they need to significantly bolster the squad depth. That will be a job for the Chelsea sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Rosenior offered his verdict on the two legs. The Blues boss said: "No, I'm learning all the time. It's my job to assess the group all of the time.

"What I'm learning is that you have to have players that, in every moment, you can rely on to make correct decisions defensively and not switch off.

"But also, they were clinical in both games. Clinical shots from outside the box. That's the level and we need to make sure we get them."

Noting the quality of Barcola and Kvaratskhelia, Rosenior added: "We make a mistake, it's an individual error. There's nothing tactical and Kvaratskhelia, because he's a top player, he scores.

"Gives them confidence, gives them a cushion and Barcola hits one from 25 yards into the top corner. I don't remember them having a shot either side of that.

"So, we have to learn at the top, top level to be clinical and to make sure we keep the back door shut. We've done neither over the two legs and that's why we're out of the competition."