“Chelsea don’t pay salaries” – Club’s wage structure killing deals for strikers claims insider | OneFootball

We’re always looking forward to Kieran Gill’s Chelsea Confidential columns, and this week’s edition, hot off the presses this afternoon, is a real banger.

There are a few topics covered, but by far the most interesting was on the subject of the Blues’ strict new salary cap which has been enforced on every new arrival from the last two years.

First, the good stuff – Chelsea’s financial accounts released this week showed their wage bill dropping from £353m per year in 2023 to £295m per year in 2024. That shows how quickly the shakeup of the squad has lowered costs, and we could yet see it fall further.

But of course, there’s a trade-off. Paying more money doesn’t guarantee you better players, but it improve your odds. The only things that’s dropped as precipitously as our wage bill in the last few years is our trophy count.

Chelsea “don’t pay salaries” says agent

Could it have been Osimhen whose agent made the comments? (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

And it could yet get worse. The quotes Gill has from the entourage of a striker that Chelsea have been trying to sign recently are a reminder that paying less has its consequences.

“I’m told [the striker] will not be turning up at Stamford Bridge any time soon because, according to the agent, there are others who have been instantly willing to go higher in the weekly wages he would be guaranteed to take home,” Gill wrote.

“That includes one club currently situated in the bottom half of the Premier League. ‘Chelsea don’t pay salaries,’ the source said, simply.”

Ouch.

The writer notes that it’s still possible that the Blues will be willing to bend the rules for someone truly exceptional, but if you’re not going to splash the cash on a goal machine striker, who exactly are you going to spend it on?