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Todd Boehly has been widely tipped to relive Mauricio Pochettino of his duties (Image: GETTY)
Todd Boehly will need to assume responsibility for some of Chelsea's major failings even if he decides to sack Mauricio Pochettino in the summer. The Blues have endured a torrid campaign under Pochettino's guidance, with Cole Palmer's goals and assists saving them from the bottom half of the Premier League table.
It has been speculated that Pochettino could be given his marching orders before the start of next season if things fail to improve between now and then. However, such a move would not escape the fact that Boehly is also at fault for Chelsea's spectacular decline.
The American billionaire has spent hundreds of millions of pounds on players, but not many have proven to be good enough for a club of Chelsea's stature. The majority of those players have been tied down to lengthy eight-year contracts, which is another problem that could arise when it comes to selling them in future.
Mykhaylo Mudryk, for instance, is yet to deliver on the potential he showed before arriving at Chelsea last season. The 23-year-old was signed for a transfer fee of £89million but has done little to justify his price tag with a series of underwhelming displays, the latest coming against Arsenal in midweek.
Mykhaylo Mudryk is one of several Chelsea players who have failed to justify their transfer fees (Image: GETTY)
Mudryk did not complete any attacking actions against the Gunners with the exception of four entries into the final third. His passing accuracy of 63.6 per cent, which dropped to 42.9 per cent in the opposing half, was the worst of any player on the pitch. He also had the fewest touches of any Chelsea starter and won just one of his four attempted duels.
It seems Chelsea may have simply overpaid for a player who is not at the required level, much like Manchester United did with Antony two summers ago. The blame for that can only be with Boehly, who has taken Chelsea backwards despite spending more than any other Premier League club in recent years.
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The Blues owner might have been caught up in the excitement of beating London rivals Arsenal to Mudryk's signature. The Gunners courted him for some time before Chelsea swooped in, but the benefit of hindsight suggests it may have been the wrong decision.
Arsenal ended up signing Leandro Trossard, who has scored 16 goals in all competitions since joining the north Londoners last season. Mudryk, meanwhile, has scored just six times for Chelsea in 53 appearances with his meagre return showing how Arsenal reaped the rewards of missing out.
Even if Boehly decides to relieve Pochettino from his duties in the summer, there is no guarantee things will change for the better unless he accepts responsibility for his own shortcomings. Signings like Mudryk have done little to help his cause and a more sensible transfer policy would go a long way towards helping the Blues as they look to restore former glories.
