Chelsea study Manchester City transfer strategy providing ‘benchmark’ for the club

Manchester City are currently ‘providing the benchmark’ for Chelsea and their ongoing rebuild under co-owner Todd Boehly, a new report has detailed.

The Etihad club are seen by many within the game to be at the very top when it comes to transfer and recruitment strategy, especially rebuilding the first-team playing squad after integral members of the side depart.

Most recently, Manchester City have had to deal with the consecutive departures of Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero in recent seasons – players who were integral to the overwhelming success of the club since their takeover in 2008.

In their place, City officials moved fast to secure the likes of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Rodri, and Erling Haaland, ensuring that Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff continue to have the required level of player to compete on all four fronts each season.

The strategy of having the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager at the centre of transfer recruitment has now been seen as the way forward by Premier League giants Chelsea, with a new report labelling the blueprint at City as ‘the benchmark’.

This is according to a detailed report from Matt Law of the Telegraph looking in to the ongoing situation at Chelsea, it is stated that Manchester City ‘provide the benchmark’ for Chelsea at the moment.

It is further highlighted that the London club have ‘studied’ how Manchester City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain worked closely with first-team head coach Pep Guardiola to recruit the right types of players and then gave him time to integrate and bring out the best in them.

Interestingly, the report – which is being seen by some supporters as a briefing from within Chelsea – reminds readers that Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge at City ended trophyless, and that new signings are given time.

Chelsea have spent in excess of €600 million on new arrivals since the club was taken over last year, but that excessive level of spending has so far not translated to results on the pitch under the former Brighton coach Graham Potter.

Manchester City on the other hand are also not performing to the levels and standards that have been set at the Etihad Stadium in recent years, but Pep Guardiola and his players continue to find themselves at the centre of an intense battle for the Premier League title with Arsenal.

City currently sit in second-place in the Premier League table, two points behind Mikel Arteta’s squad – who continue to have a game in hand over the reigning English top-flight champions.

Those two teams meet once more this season in the Premier League, with the reverse fixture to Manchester City’s recent 1-3 win over the Gunners coming at the Etihad Stadium in the coming weeks.