Pochettino believes Chelsea are 'building something'
Chelsea may regret letting one of their former academy stars leave after it emerged that the Blues reportedly could have convinced Jamal Musiala to stay had they offered him a more lucrative contract. The west London club have earned a reputation for offering tempting contracts to their players, but when it came to Bayern Munich star Musiala – now viewed as a world-class midfielder – their reported failure to offer enough money pushed the youngster out the door.
Musiala is widely recognised as one of the most influential creative attacking midfielders in Europe after breaking into the Bayern team at the age of 17, having joined from Chelsea for a nominal fee only a year earlier in 2019.
Now 20, the Germany international is a key cog in the Bavarians’ squad and he contributed 22 goals – 10 assists and 12 goals for himself – in 33 Bundesliga outings last season as they clinched the title on the final day. And Chelsea, in addition to how they sold Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah too early in their careers, will have some regrets about how Musiala’s exit went down.
According to journalist Simon Phillips, he turned down a contract offer from Chelsea that would have secured his future at Stamford Bridge. Bayern had also submitted an offer to his agent which included a higher salary, and the midfielder had little hesitation in signing with the German giants on a three-year deal.
READ MORE MLS wonderkid that made debut at 15 set for Chelsea vs Real Madrid bidding war[LATEST]
Until the age of seven, the former Blues ace lived in Germany as he played for amateur side TSV Lehnerz. But when he moved to the South Coast of England due to his mother’s new job role, he caught the eye of Chelsea scouts and joined their academy as a young boy.
He was a valued member of the academy at Cobham and might have been part of the group that graduated to the first team under Frank Lampard in 2019-20, but the issue of his contract forced him to leave.
Musiala, who was eligible to play for England before declaring his allegiance for Germany, has hinted he could return to the Premier League one day. But the playmaker – under contract at the Allianz Arena until 2026 and seen as indispensable by Thomas Tuchel – has insisted he is not currently looking to leave.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
DON’T MISS
Marc Cucurella hints at Chelsea chaos caused by Todd Boehly spending[TRANSFERS]
Mykhaylo Mudryk ‘defying’ Chelsea orders as dressing room leak exposes Ukrainian[INSIGHT]
Chelsea come to Mauricio Pochettino transfer view with Osimhen’s future unclear[GOSSIP]
In an interview with The Times in 2021, he said: “My friends [in England] made me feel welcome and comfortable. Chelsea and the FA are family for me, and I am sure, even when I am not there, I remain a member of the family.”
More recently, he told Sport Bild: “The Premier League is a really strong league, the biggest stars go there. But I don’t know if I will go there someday too.
“All I know is that I really enjoyed my time in England. There are many factors and many details to consider. I’m very happy at Bayern. But you never know what will happen in six, seven years.”
In any case, Chelsea spent over £1billion on transfers since Todd Boehly’s takeover 18 months ago. While the American had no influence over Musiala’s future as it was before their time, it offers yet another example of Chelsea must learn from their mistakes and try not to let any more world-class players like Musiala slip through their academy net.
Source: Read Full Article