Chelsea could do their next opponent’s spending 45 times and risk biggest-ever upset
It’s a bold statement, but if Luton beat Chelsea in their first Premier League meeting, it could be one of the division’s biggest-ever upsets.
That’s not due to the Blues being some steamrolling footballing machine against a newly-promoted side, but instead because of an extraordinary financial discrepancy.
Chelsea’s well-publicised spending is closing in on the £1billion mark since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Captial’s takeover last summer, with the team twice breaking the British transfer record in 2023, first for £104million Enzo Fernandez, and then £115m Moises Caicedo.
For the 2022/23 season alone they broke the record for the most money spent by any club in the world during a single season with an outlay just shy of £600m, and things haven’t slowed down for the current campaign.
Joining former Brighton man Caicedo this summer has been – hold your breath – £58m Romeo Lavia, £52m Christopher Nkunku, £38m Axel Disasi, £31m Nicolas Jackson, £23m Lesley Ugochukwu, £25m Robert Sánchez and £13m Angelo.
That outlay takes Chelsea over the £350m mark for this transfer window alone, and close to £900m during the Boehly era.
Their figure this summer is the highest of any team in the world, and even above second-placed Al Hilal’s seemingly endless Saudi chequebook.
But what’s been delivered so far is a 1-1 draw against Liverpool, before a 3-1 embarrassment at the hands of London rivals West Ham.
That makes Chelsea’s next game all the more fascinating, as their defeat at the London Stadium brings incredibly high stakes for what should be the easiest game of the season.
Playing at home to relegation favourites Luton Town, the Hatters only have a 4-1 defeat to Brighton to their name in their first season in the top flight.
Rob Edwards’ side
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