Why did Chelsea sign a large number of Manchester City academy graduates?

According toBBC.

Background

Morgan Rogers, who recently joined Chelsea, is a graduate of Manchester City's academy and has shown great potential previously. His joining reflects Chelsea's move towards strengthening its ranks with young players with experience in major competitions, which may contribute to improving the team's performance in the English Premier League.

Why is this important?

Chelsea's signing of Manchester City academy graduates, such as Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, reflects a strategic shift in club policy. This step may enhance the team's ability to compete in the English Premier League, as the club seeks to replenish its ranks with new faces capable of providing the required performance.

Key points

Why did Chelsea sign a large number of Manchester City academy graduates?
Chelsea continues to strengthen its ranks with a number of Manchester City academy graduates, in a move that reflects a strategic change in the London club’s recruitment policy.
Why Chelsea have signed so many Man City academy graduates - BBC Sport.

Chelsea's management is seeking to strengthen the team's ranks by signing a number of players who graduated from the Manchester City Academy, as Morgan Rogers is the latest to join the ranks of the London club. This trend comes after Chelsea lost to Manchester City in the English Youth Cup final in 2020, as that match witnessed the emergence of a number of players who are now part of Chelsea’s first team.

Besides Rogers, Cole Palmer, who scored a goal in that match, and Liam Delap, as well as Romeo Lafia, Jimmy Gittens and Tosin Adarabioyo, also joined Chelsea. Together, these players represent around £300 million in transfer fees paid by Chelsea since 2023. In contrast, it appears that the number of players who have graduated from Chelsea's academy will be limited to just three, namely Levi Colwell, team captain Reece James, and Josh Achaampong.

Chelsea are seeking to capitalize on the success of Cole Palmer, who moved from Manchester City to Chelsea for £40 million plus £2.5 million in add-ons, and has become one of the most prominent players in the English Premier League. One club insider noted that the players coming from City "know what's good".

Another factor driving Chelsea's interest in attracting City academy graduates is Joe Shields, who used to work in City's academy recruitment department and is now involved in player recruitment at Chelsea. It is noteworthy that many other clubs include former Manchester City employees, such as Manchester United.

Clubs sell players who have graduated from academies, with the fee potentially being recorded as a profit in financial accounts, according to the Premier League and UEFA spending rules. Chelsea's sale of Tyreke George to Everton was an example of this.

Pep Guardiola, former Manchester City coach, acknowledged the difficulty the academy faces in giving its graduates opportunities in a team competing for major titles. While some players such as Rogers were deemed not ready to play for the first team, others such as Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho were offered contracts but chose to continue their development elsewhere.

Chelsea, seeking to find a suitable home for young talent, have employed a staff of former City staff, including first-team coach Callum McFarlane and new academy director Glen van der Kraan. There was also a short spell for former City chief executive Tom Glick as Chelsea's business chief.

The links between Manchester City's academy and Chelsea continue, with James McAtee and CJ Eigen-Riley, who played in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final, both being targets of FC Strasbourg, the French club owned by Chelsea's owners, Bloco. Chelsea also expressed interest in former City academy player Michael Olise ahead of his move to Bayern Munich.

What's next?

With the arrival of Morgan Rogers and a number of other players, Chelsea are expected to see major changes in their starting lineup. It will be interesting to see how these players will adapt to the style of the new coach, Xabi Alonso, and how this will impact the team's performance in the Premier League.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Chelsea sign Manchester City academy graduates?

Chelsea is seeking to strengthen the team's ranks by signing players from the Manchester City academy after losing to them in the English Youth Cup final in 2020.

Which players joined Chelsea from Manchester City's academy?

The players who joined Chelsea are Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, William Delap, Romeo Lafia, Jamie Gittens, and Tosin Adarabioyo.

How much are the transfer fees for new players at Chelsea?

New players from Manchester City's academy represent around £300m in transfer fees paid by Chelsea since 2023.

What is Joe Shields' role in Chelsea's signing of players?

Joe Shields used to work in Manchester City's academy recruitment department and is now involved in player recruitment at Chelsea, promoting the recruitment of academy graduates.

How does selling players affect the clubs' financial accounts?

Clubs sell players who have graduated from academies to record the fee as a profit in their financial accounts, in accordance with the Premier League and UEFA spending rules.