We\u2019re in no real position to tell sporting directors of elite Premier League clubs how best to conduct their transfer business, but we would ward against them taking a (the only) leaf out of Todd Boehly\u2019s recruitment handbook.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinding those right elements, the first time at anything is tricky,\u201d the Chelsea co-owner said in an interview earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re going to make mistakes and obviously having taken over in the circumstances that we did, basically the whole management team left. I was stuck being interim sporting director for the summer having no idea what made a good football player.<\/p>\n \u201cBut knowing that Marc Cucurella, if Man City wants him, I want him. It was really simple that way.\u201d<\/p>\n The American businessman, who had led the Boehly\/Clearlake Capital takeover of Chelsea in May 2022 and with the club still reorganizing, temporarily took on the role of sporting director despite having no prior experience.<\/p>\n Cucurella \u2013 who\u2019s just agreed a \u00a352m transfer to Real Madrid \u2013 has ironically been one of Chelsea\u2019s better signings under the new owners, now known as BlueCo, after joining in a window which also saw them sign disastrous quartet Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.<\/p>\n In fairness to Boehly \u2013 though not that much fairness as he hired them \u2013 Chelsea\u2019s transfer record has barely improved since Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart became the co-sporting directors. And judging by the moves of their counterparts at the top end of the Premier League, as well as some of their own, Boehly\u2019s methods weren\u2019t out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n Reports suggest Chelsea are \u2018close\u2019 to reaching an \u2018agreement\u2019 with Adam Wharton over his \u00a375m transfer<\/a>, who\u2019s been heavily linked with Liverpool and is also on Tottenham\u2019s radar this summer, with Manchester United also keen.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Adam Wharton under Xabi Alonso is the perfect tonic for dejected Chelsea fans<\/a><\/p>\n We accept that very good footballers attract interest from the biggest clubs. That\u2019s always been the case and will never change. Young midfielders of Wharton\u2019s quality are hard to come by. But you could be forgiven for thinking there are just three such players available for the Premier League heavyweights to fight over.<\/p>\n Manchester City went early and have gone big to sign Elliot Anderson<\/a>, pricing Manchester United and other potential suitors out of a move for the Nottingham Forest midfielder as owner Evangelos Marinakis continues to drive a very hard bargain.<\/p>\n The Red Devils then turned their attention to Mateus Fernandes<\/a>, whom relegated West Ham want a whopping \u00a385m for, before Tottenham<\/a> and now Liverpool<\/a> have thrown their hats in the ring for the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n