'We'd be under scrutiny': Pep Guardiola shares his views on Chelsea's spending spree

Chelsea had a terrible outing in the Premier League 2022-23 season. The Blues finished 12th on the table, however, the new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has decided to rebuild the squad and make sure that the Todd Bohely-owned side delivers a good performance in the 2023-24 season. The Stamford Bridge side has invested a lot in the squad.

3 things you need to know

• Chelsea has spent approx €455.50 million on arrivals this season
• Chelsea has also earned approx €384.70 million from departures this season 
• Moisés Caicedo is Chelsea's biggest signing this season, with €116.00 million

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Chelsea dominated the transfer market this summer 

Introducing a new Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/vdHynMOMti

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2023

The club's shareholders have backed Mauricio Pochettino's efforts to strengthen the squad to the tune of €386 million during the summer transfer window of 2023 for Chelsea. The Blues have acquired a total of ten new players. Moises Caicedo's transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion to the club for an initial fee of €116 million (£100 million) is notable. The total cost of the transfer is anticipated to increase to €133 million (£115 million) as a result of add-ons.

Romeo Lavia of Southampton has also joined Chelsea for a transfer fee of €68 million (£58 million). The Belgian international will receive an initial payment of €62 million, with the remainder distributed as incentives. Caicedo and Lavia were both targets of Liverpool prior to their respective acquisitions by Chelsea.

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Pep Guardiola makes a huge statement about Chelsea’s spending

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, claims that he thinks his team would face harsh criticism if it spent as much money as Chelsea has since Todd Boehly took over. This is because Manchester City has been under intense scrutiny ever since Sheikh Mansour took over in 2008. The club is facing 115 allegations from the Premier League for suspected financial transgressions. Chelsea, in comparison, has spent over $1 billion on player transfer fees since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took control as the club's new owners in May 2022. Talking to the media, the Spanish manager said:

"We'd be under scrutiny like you couldn't imagine, I couldn't sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows - you would kill me. We have to see what happens in the market and if we can do it and to pay what we believe is fair... In the end, we will pay what is fair to do it. Otherwise, we have the academy. I don't criticise Chelsea for one second,

I'm saying, if we do it, we're dead, all around the world. They can do what they want. "If they want to spend, I don't know, 900 million pounds since (Boehly) arrived, 900 more, 900 more - they have it. The business is the business. They sell a lot this season so they can do it.

Manchester City won the season opener away from home with a 3-0 victory over Burnley and are set to face Newcastle United this Sunday. On the other hand, Chelsea drew their first match of the season against Liverpool, with the score being 1-1. They are set to face West Ham this Sunday.