GARY O"NEAL SLAMS CHELSEA OWNERS FOR 'MESSING UP' RECRUITMENT AND CULTURE AT STRASBOURG SINCE BLUECO TAKEOVER

 

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Strasbourg manager Gary O’Neil has sensationally targeted club owners BlueCo, accusing the consortium that also owns Chelsea of undermining his squad through poor recruitment and a failing internal culture. The former Wolves boss did not hold back after a series of disappointing results, claiming the hierarchy actively weakened the side during the January transfer window.

Recruitment failures and squad frustration

O’Neil has launched a scathing attack on BlueCo, the joint owners of both Strasbourg and Chelsea, accusing them of "messing up" recruitment and questioning the overall culture within the organisation.

O’Neil, who took charge in January, has overseen two semi-final defeats in the last month, with the club exiting the Coupe de France and the Conference League. The manager believes the January transfer window actively weakened his squad rather than strengthening it.

He highlighted the loaning of striker David Datro Fofana and defender Aaron Anselmino from Chelsea, alongside the recall of influential loanee Mamadou Sarr to London. Additionally, Ecuador international Kendry Paez saw his season-long loan cut short by Chelsea, only to be immediately re-loaned to River Plate in Argentina.

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O'Neil demands a culture shift

Following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Angers, O’Neil spoke to L’Equipe to express his dissatisfaction with the current setup. He was explicit about the needs of the team and the errors made by those at the top. “I need two centre-forwards. The owners want to give me the means to perform next season, but we have to improve the culture around the club, the quality of the players, and the depth of the squad. We messed up in the January transfer window. We weakened instead of improving the squad,” O’Neil stated.

The manager's frustration stems from a feeling that the multi-club model is prioritising Chelsea’s movement of assets over the competitive stability of the Ligue 1 side.

Anger following disappointing performances

Reflecting on his team’s recent performance, O’Neil did not mince his words when discussing the mentality of his players and the environment they are operating in. He warned that the final games of the season would be a litmus test for who deserves to remain at Strasbourg. "I am angry. I hope that the players are, too. There are two matches left and they have to show me that they have to level to play with us next season. But we won’t get anywhere playing like that," he stated.

O’Neil continued his critique by highlighting a lack of fight in recent fixtures. "They really disappointed me, even more so than on Thursday (against Vallecano). They have to do better. The world of football is full of sharks. They need to know that. I told them that we were playing a final and they didn’t play like they had to," the manager added.

- Mohamed Saeed

CHELSEA MAKE JOÂO FÉLIX LATEST SIGNING FOR CHELSEA OF TRANSFER WINDOW

João Félix has rejoined Chelsea from Atlético Madrid on a permanent transfer. Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Chelsea have signed João Félix on a permanent transfer from Atlético Madrid, the London club announced on Wednesday.

The forward has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract.

Sources have told ESPN that the clubs agreed a deal worth in the region of €50 million ($55.4m), including add-ons. Atlético will retain a 20% share of any future fee that the player generates in a transfer away from Chelsea.

It marks a return to west London for Félix, who spent six months on loan last season at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in 20 appearances.

"I'm really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can't wait to get started," Félix said. "I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.

"I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I'd love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I'm excited to be back."

Félix played last season on loan at Barcelona from Atlético and scored 10 goals in 44 appearances.

He had hoped to continue at Barça beyond this summer but returned to Atlético after playing for Portugal at Euro 2024.

The 24-year-old is Chelsea's 11th summer signing after Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jörgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga and Marc Guiu, with Estêvão Willian having agreed to join the club in 2025.

Félix, who began his career at Benfica, moved to Atlético in the summer of 2019 for a club-record €126m. He did not live up to expectations and struggled to adapt to head coach Diego Simeone's tactics. He scored scored 34 goals in 131 games for Atlético.

- Adriana Garcia

CHELSEA AIMING TO SIGN MORE PLAYERS - ENZO MARESCA

Enzo Maresca is set to embark on his first season as a head coach in the Premier League. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has said the club are targeting further incomings before the end of the transfer window despite completing their 10th summer signing earlier this week.

Pedro Neto joined Chelsea in a £54 million ($69.6m) deal from Wolves on Monday, following Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jörgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga and Marc Guiu into west London while Estêvão Willian will join the club in 2025.

That activity has left Chelsea with a bloated squad of 43 players as they look to move on several unwanted members including Conor Gallagher, whose proposed £34 million move to Atlético Madrid is on hold while the LaLiga club raise funds to complete the deal.

Chelsea are in talks with Atlético over the possible acquisition of João Félix while Napoli are open to incorporating Victor Osimhen in a player-plus cash swap deal for Romelu Lukaku.

Asked about the links to Félix and Osimhen, Maresca said on Friday: "The only thing I can say is I always have to say the same. They are not our players so it is not correct, I think, to talk about a Napoli player or -- who is the other one? -- an Atlético Madrid player.

"In this moment, the club knows exactly what I think in terms of what we need in case we do something and hopefully before we finish the transfer window, we can bring in some players."

Gallagher and Trevor Chalobah are among a number of players training away from the first-team squad ahead of Chelsea's season-opener against champions Manchester City on Sunday.

Gallagher will not be available against City, while Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja and Raheem Sterling are among the players who could depart before the window closes.

"We have been 20 days in America with 28, 29 players so it has been quite good in terms of managing the squad," Maresca said. "Now we have the guys who are not involved in our squad, they are training apart. At the moment, it is not difficult, also because if I start to think I have 43 players, probably it is not a good thing.

"I just finished the session now and I am already thinking about tomorrow's session. It is the only thing I like to do, I like to control, If you start thinking about 43 players, 'manager [has] no time,' I think it is not worth it.

"The [sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart] are there trying to find solutions for these kinds of players. I am not the guy in charge of finding solution for these players otherwise they have to pay me double."

Maresca left Leicester City after winning the Championship title last season to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge and revealed that he has recently spoken with two fellow Italians in Claudio Ranieri and Carlo Ancelotti, both of whom managed Chelsea previously.

"I spoke with Claudio Ranieri and the reason why was also because I spoke with him before I started the season with Leicester and we won," Maresca said.

"So when I signed to Chelsea I called him immediately just to see if it would be the same! Then I spoke with Carlo Ancelotti when we played against Madrid [in preseason] for a while. Both of them were talking about the club [as] fantastic, about their experience here, fantastic."

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC