Top heavy bridge

While everybody loves a good spending spree, there’s something different about the money being splashed around Chelsea this transfer window. While right-back Cesar Azpilicueta has been brought in to provide defensive cover, the remainder of the purchases CFC have made a very attacking; in some cases alarmingly so.

Perhaps a big step in making the Blues a more exciting attacking unit – a quality many feel Roman Abramovic desires to see in his team – the money spent on attacking midfielders this summer is sure to lead to some skilful attacking play; well, by as many as can get on the field at least. For in a roll call of newly-acquired creative midfielders, Eden Hazard, brother Thorgan Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Marko Marin and Victor Moses could fill the available positions themselves, but lest we forgot midfielders of the calibre of Juan Mata, Ramires, Florent Malouda, Raul Meireles, Ryan Bertrand, plus forgotten or young players such as Gael Kakuta, Yossi Benayoun, Josh McEachran or Lucas Piazon are all looking to stake their claim for a starting berth. Put simply is the top of end of the pitch ludicrously bloated?

While many of the mentioned players are likely to be loaned out, with new signing de Bruyne already shipped out to Werder Bremen, a number of players will likely see their careers left in limbo or be unable to find new clubs. It’s hardly financially efficient or helpful for financial fair play to keep unwanted players on big contracts or lose a potential transfer fee, but there seems to be little choice when the squad so clearly needs trimming.

The signing of Moses in particular seems bizarre and somewhat indulgent. With an already top-heavy squad the Wigan winger, who displays an irritating selfishness and ability to ignore the better option the likes of which I haven’t seen since my days of 5 a side in London, is arguably the last thing the squad needs. Marin and Hazard, alongside Mata, can already provide enough silky skills to open up any attack so the former Crystal Palace man Moses looks as though he may have to get used to the bench. And it looks like he won’t be the only one…