On Thursday, Chelsea Football Club announced its traveling squad for the upcoming Club World Cup. The upcoming tournament will be hosted in the United States. The club broke their own transfer record this window by signing Ipswich striker Liam Delap for £30 million. They’ve finally released an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on it. This strategic move is meant to strengthen Chelsea’s attacking presence as they head towards the tournament that Chelsea seems poised to win.
The group features an exciting mix of experienced players and up-and-coming stars. There are some glaring absences that have raised eyebrows among supporters and pundits alike. Wesley Fofana features in that list, having been ruled out by a hamstring injury. Raheem Sterling is back from his loan at Arsenal but didn’t get picked this time. Those are some high stakes! The UEFA Club World Cup winners could rake in a jaw-dropping £97 million windfall from FIFA.
Squad Composition
Chelsea’s squad furthers this trend. Each position group features players from across the globe. The goalkeeping corps is headlined by Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Mike Penders and Gabriel Slonina. These three players will vie for the starting role as Chelsea looks to win their first title in the tournament.
Chelsea has shored up its back line with world-class talent. Famous footballing faces such as Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and a host of other players come to mind. That wealth of talent on the backend makes for an impressive foundation as they get set for what lies ahead.
The midfield is Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia. Each midfielder has their own distinct set of skills that will be crucial for dictating the tempo of play. Chelsea’s forward line is filled with a dazzling mix of youth and experience. Like them, Delap, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George and Marc Guiu should all be getting more minutes.
Financial Implications of Success
The financial incentives for doing well in the Club World Cup are huge. Chelsea, meanwhile, will be fighting for their share of a record £774 million ($1 billion) prize pool. They’ll be joined by 31 other clubs in this fiercely competitive tournament. This emphasizes just how critical it is for us to be doing well on this global stage.
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol highlighted the lucrative nature of such competitions:
“If you win the Premier League, that is worth around £176 million. The Champions League, the new format, it’s estimated that you could earn up to £135 million if you win it, but that is for playing up to 15 games, and the Club World Cup £97 million.”
This massive financial incentive to get it done creates further pressure on the team to succeed. No wonder clubs find this tournament so extraordinarily appealing! Add to that, they are able to make millions in prize money after only seven matches, providing a massive financial windfall.
Future Considerations
With the Club World Cup right around the corner, talk about player futures is reaching a fever pitch. Chelsea have publicly declared that Axel Disasi will not be in their squad. Now, to the surprise of many, his parent club is reportedly open to selling him this summer. Negotiations will begin this month on Raheem Sterling’s continued service to the team.
Liam Delap left out of England’s Under-21s squad for European Championship in Slovakia. He is about to take on a key role for Chelsea in the current blue turf international tournament. His selection is indicative of the club’s faith in his abilities to step in and make an impact right away on such a big stage.
Leave a Reply