Chelsea have had an extremely busy summer transfer window, with the addition of Angelo Gabriel their latest piece of transfer business. The Blues have done a lot of work on their summer clear out, selling off players who were in the fringes of their squad.
Additionally, they’ve made a couple big name, senior player acquisitions and acquired a decent amount of talented youth.
Welcome to Chelsea Angelo Gabriel.. ? pic.twitter.com/xSrrvvUsPM
— Conn (@ConnCFC) July 16, 2023
Angelo Gabriel is the latest signing in that vein, as they acquired the 18-year-old Brazilian from Santos for the price tag of €15m. He’ll now join the rest of his new team in the United States for their preseason tour.
While his getting loaned out this season is likely, he might actually stay if more players get sold off this summer.
Despite being just a teenager, Angelo has a ton of experience already, having made 128 appearances for the senior team.
He debuted at the age of 15, which was a record-breaking milestone. As the official announcement, on the club’s website reads:
“Angelo Gabriel became the youngest player in the history of the Brazil national championship when he made his debut against Fluminense in the Maracanã, aged just 15 years and 308 days.”
The left-footed right winger might have the perfect mentor in new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine has a well documented history of developing young talent, and this is an example of the club now finding identity and direction again.
The first year of the Todd Boehly era was basically just throwing money all around at everything and anything. There really didn’t seem to be a plan and “transfer policy.”
That has all changed now, as Chelsea are selling off the surplus players from an over-bloated squad and rebuilding with youth. They had to sell off some of their expensive veterans, in order to balance the books for Financial Fair play.
And on the flipside of that, they are stockpiling players for the future.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.