Arnesen says Chelsea's big spending days are over
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Arnesen says Chelsea's big spending days are over as the Blues axe 15 scouts
Chelsea's sporting director Frank Arnesen says the Blues' big spending days are over.
Frank Arnesen has admitted that the global credit crunch means Chelsea days as football's big spenders are over. Chelsea laid off 15 scouts last week as part of a series of cost-cutting measures at Stamford Bridge and the club’s sporting director has admitted they will have to be self sufficient in future.
Arnesen said: ‘A structure is now in place and even though the credit crunch has meant Roman Abramovich has hit the financial brake and asked us to cut deep, we have cut down significantly on scouts and other activities.
‘We are at the same level as Real Madrid and Manchester United and we are getting close to the time when the club can carry on without Roman’s money. ‘The process here in Chelsea is now so far along that 80 per cent of the dreams I had after the switch from Tottenham are now being put into place. 'There is no turning back.’
Despite Arnesen’s claims that the club is on a sound financial footing, Chelsea announced losses of just over £70million for the last financial year and are creaking under £736m of debt.
Despite the impact of the credit crisis, Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been told there is money available to strengthen the squad in the transfer window. Scolari wants a striker to provide competition for Didier Drogba who, at 31, is struggling with a series of niggling injuries, and Nicolas Anelka.
Arnesen claims he is solely responsible for providing Scolar iwith a list of possible signings, although it seems doubtful that he had any influence over the arrival of Brazilian Mineiro on a free transfer.
The Dane added: ‘I don’t have any problems working with Roman because he is an intelligent businessman who has earned his money as so many others have. ‘I have been responsible for scouting for first-team players since the summer of 2006.
'In my first year my job was to scout players under the age of 19, but it seemed foolish that our network was only looking at players under 19. 'Roman understood that so I was handed a mandate to recommend players for Jose Mourinho, then Avram Grant and now Scolari.
'If Scolari says he needs a centre forward then it is my job to come up with a list of targets. 'I have about 1,000 players listed in my computer. ‘All of this has happened over the last two years.’
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did he got all those players from FM?
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song bo. welcome to the man city era! ~
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its only logic for that to happen, but since its a gobal kinda thing good players will still be willing to switch clubs, be it for passion or for money..
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welcome to the real world roman. :)