Arsenal icon slams Chelsea's 'haphazard' transfer strategy with clear Mauricio Pochettino warning

Chelsea transfer news: Arsenal icon Alan Smith has hit out at Chelsea's transfer strategy, with a claim about Mykhailo Mudryk and a warning for Mauricio Pochettino

It comes as the Blues oversee a host of changes within the squad, with a number of exits in particular to ensure that the new head coach has an ideal team at his disposal. The west London outfit have been in a period of transition over the past year, with the new ownership implementing their own ideas.

A number of additions were required last summer after some key losses in the window, with a few that didn't appear to work out for the side. Then in January there was an additional spree of new, young players, but with it came a squad bloated and making a host of changes every week.

Chelsea finished the campaign in a disappointing 12th-place and have since made wholesale changes to the squad to make it work for Pochettino. There have been a host of exits already confirmed, with a few more expected, while further signings are in the pipeline for the remaining few months of the transfer window.

However, despite gearing their transfer approach towards young players with high potential and moving players on that don't have a future at Chelsea, there's some concern elsewhere. Former Arsenal star Alan Smith has warned Pochettino that he could have a tough time at Stamford Bridge, slamming their strategy in the market.

He told Gambling Zone: "It’s been such a haphazard approach to signing players, it’s been really scattergun. I don’t think there was any method to their business last season.

"The signing of Mudryk is a great example of that. Arsenal were interested and they thought they’d pinch him off their London rivals.

"Chelsea have collected all these players. It looks like something Pochettino and the club are trying to sort out. Koulibaly came in last summer, now he’s gone. Some of the lads that have come through the ranks, they’ve been moved on and it appears like more of them might be on the way out of the club.

"Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have left, which is a shame because clubs don’t like to lose academy players that have come through the ranks. They need to get back to more of an organised approach. With so much movement in and out of the team, I think it’s going to be hard for Pochettino."

It remains to be seen if that will be the case or whether the foundations being built at Chelsea will eventually work out for them. However, with the season rapidly approaching, the Blues will certainly be hoping their fortunes have changed this time around.

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