Mauricio Pochettino has spent £400m but Chelsea are getting worse – the midfield is all over the place, the defence can’t stop shipping goals and they’re blunt in attack… how each player has rated in the Blues’ dismal season

The anguish and despair was written all over Mauricio Pochettino‘s face as Chelsea suffered yet another defeat on Sunday.

It has become a familiar look for the Blues boss this season as Chelsea continued their state of perma-crisis and reached their latest nadir in a 4-2 home defeat by Wolves.

Chelsea fans have seemingly had enough. Supporters inside Stamford Bridge turned on the team as they booed Raheem Sterling, chanted ‘we’re f***ng s***’ and again sang the name of former owner Roman Abrahmovich.

The frustration is understandable. After all, Chelsea’s squad for Sunday’s game cost a whopping £710million, including an under-performing midfield duo who set the club back more than £220m between them.

The £1bn spent in the disastrous Todd Boehly era hasn’t even come close to bearing fruit. Eight of those players signed in the American’s transfer market splurge are under contract until 2030, making it difficult to shift them if they continue to underperform.

The loss to Wolves, and the nature of it, has heaped pressure on Pochettino, who is just over six months into a three-year contract. 

There are now Chelsea fans who would not be disappointed to see the back of the Argentine, despite the impact sacking him could have on their FFP calculations. 

Mail Sport reported on Monday that the club fear axing the Argentine would put them in danger of breaching Premier League spending rules as the payout for him and his backroom team is thought to be around £10m.

But the expensively-assembled group of players also need to take their share of responsibility. 

Here, Mail Sport assesses the current state of Chelsea’s squad, their reported weekly wage, their contract expiry and how badly they have performed since Pochettino took charge.

Robert Sanchez

Cost: £25m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £60k

The Spanish stopper arrived with a solid reputation after his displays for Brighton but has let himself down with a number of high-profile errors. 

Stats boffins SofaScore rate him as just the eighth best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season and he may struggle to get his place back when he returns from injury.

Rating: 5/10

Djordje Petrovic

Cost: £14m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £25k

Petrovic has taken the gloves in the absence of the injured Sanchez and has earned plaudits for some of his saves, most notably in the win at Luton in December. 

The Serbian has been one of Chelsea’s better performers, and has not been helped by the lacklustre defence in front of him.

Rating: 6/10

Axel Disasi

Cost: £38.7m Contract expiry: 2029  Weekly wage: £80k

Chelsea fans could be forgiven for wanting more from a player who cost nearly £40m. 

The Frenchman has struggled to settle at Stamford Bridge – and SofaScore rank him as the 51st best defender by average rating during the current campaign, which tells its own story.

Rating: 3/10

Thiago Silva

Cost: Free  Contract expiry: June 2024  Weekly wage: £110k

The experienced Brazilian, whose future at the club remains uncertain as he is out of contract in the summer, has worn his heart on his sleeve this season and made clear how frustrated he is at their lack of progress. 

Silva’s own campaign has been average – he’s not been the worst but has also been short of his best form. 

Rating: 6/10 

Levi Colwill

Cost: Free  Contract expiry: 2029  Weekly wage: £100k

The youngster had been an ever-present in Pochettino’s side this season before suffering an injury in the warm-up before Chelsea’s draw with Aston Villa in the FA Cup. 

Wolves was only the fourth Premier League game Colwill hadn’t started and they again conceded four goals in his absence, which shows his value to the team. But he still has work to do if he is to fulfill his true potential.

Rating: 6/10 

Reece James 

Cost: Free  Contract expiry: 2028  Weekly wage: £250k

It has been difficult to judge James this season owing to his constant injuries and he is again out with a hamstring problem. 

The right-back still ranks 12th among all players in his position with SofaScore and those Chelsea supporters who have voiced their displeasure at the team’s performances will be desperate to see him return sooner rather than later. 

Rating: 6/10 

Benoit Badiashile

Cost: £35m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £90k 

The French centre-back has endured a torrid season for the Blues and is rated one of the lowest in his position across the entire division by SofaScore. 

Gabby Agbonlahor was among the pundits to tear into Badiashile after the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool, and critics are already beginning to write him off following his £35m move from Monaco in January 2023.

Rating: 3/10 

Ben Chilwell

Cost: £50m  Contract expiry: 2027  Weekly wage: £200k 

Another player who has struggled with injury. Chilwell has been poor since recovering from his a hamstring problem and failed to deliver when Pochettino has needed him. 

It remains to be seen what a prolonged run in the team could do for his and his club’s form – he has created 13 chances when he has featured – as the Blues battle to save a dismal season.

Rating: 5/10 

Malo Gusto

Cost: £26m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £45k

The French defender has been given more gametime than he might have expected owing to James’ injuries, with 21 appearances and more than 1,000 minutes in the Premier League. 

His stats include three assists and 13 chances created, so there is hope for the 20-year-old, although he was hooked at half-time by Pochettino in their miserable outing at Anfield last week.

Rating: 5/10 

Marc Cucurella

Cost: £62m  Contract expiry: 2028  Weekly wage:  

Cucurella barely featured in Pochettino’s opening six Premier League games before making his way into the team. 

The Spaniard, who nearly joined Manchester United on loan last summer, has been one of the better performers according to SofaScore. He has a rating of 7.11 – the sixth-highest of all Chelsea players – but is out of action after having ankle surgery.

Rating: 5/10 

Moises Caicedo

Cost: £115m  Contract expiry: 2031  Weekly wage: £150k

Many Chelsea supporters were celebrating when they pipped Liverpool to the signing of the highly-rated central midfielder but their joy has quickly turned to frustration and disappointment. 

While the 22-year-old’s price tag is beyond his control, he has so far failed to deliver and been quickly labelled as an expensive flop. 

Rating: 5/10

Enzo Fernandez

Cost: £107m  Contract expiry: 2031  Weekly wage: £300k 

Fernandez, a deadline-day arrival in January 2023, had shown glimpses of what he is capable of last season but has dropped off a cliff since. The Argentine ranks just 16th of all midfielders in SofaScore’s rating system and will need to improve hugely if he is to justify his fee. 

Caicedo has taken a lot of the criticism but Fernandez has been worse than his team-mate during the current campaign.

Rating: 4/10 

Cole Palmer

Cost: £42.5m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £75k 

Perhaps the only member of Pochettino’s squad who can say they are having a good season. Eyebrows were raised when he joined from Man City in the summer but he has already begun to repay the club for their considerable investment in him, with 10 Premier League goals to his name for the Blues. 

He looks a future star in the making and could force himself into consideration for England’s Euro 2024 squad if he continues his bright form.

Rating: 8/10

Mykhailo Mudryk

Cost: £88m  Contract expiry: 2031  Weekly wage: £100k 

Pochettino has seemingly already lost faith in Mudryk, who has spent the majority of Chelsea’s recent matches on the bench. A return of four goals and three assists in his 25 appearances in all competitions this season is nowhere near good enough. 

It is no wonder Chelsea fans’ patience is wearing thin with the Ukrainian following his big-money arrival in January 2023.

Rating: 3/10

Conor Gallagher

Cost: Free  Contract expiry: 2025  Weekly wage: £50k 

Gallagher, the subject of transfer interest from Tottenham in the January window, has largely been solid – if unspectacular – for Pochettino. 

The 23-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions yet has failed to make an impact at the top of the pitch with six assists and no goals.

Rating: 6/10 

Raheem Sterling

Cost: £50m  Contract expiry: 2027  Weekly wage: £325k

The England international made a bright start to the campaign but has struggled since. As one of the more experienced stars in a youthful side, and the club’s highest-paid player on more than £300,000-a-week, Sterling should be leading from the front but he has just five goals in 21 Premier League appearances this season and more yellow cards than assists. 

According to SofaScore, he is only the 40th best winger in the Premier League this season.

Rating: 5/10

Lesley Ogochukwu

Cost: £23.5m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £45k

SofaScore rank Ogochukwu as one of the worst Blues players of the campaign to date, with an average rating of just 6.75,. but that may be a little harsh given his tender age and lack of experience. 

The majority of his minutes have come in the run to the League Cup final, which suggests promise, but that hasn’t translated to gametime in the Premier League.

Rating: 5/10 

Christopher Nkunku

Cost: £53m  Contract expiry: 2029  Weekly wage: £195k

The Frenchman has spent most of his time at Stamford Bridge on the sidelines so it is difficult to gauge how well he has done. 

Two goals in his first five Premier League appearances is promising and Chelsea fans will hope he kicks on from here. 

Rating: 6/10

Nicolas Jackson

Cost: £32m  Contract expiry: 2031  Weekly wage: £65k

A hat-trick at Spurs has been the outlier rather than the norm for the Senegalese striker. According to Opta, Jackson, who has played in the fifth-most matches under Pochettino this season, has wasted 13 big chances in his 20 Premier League games for the club. 

Much like several other of his team-mates, a drastic improvement is needed.

Rating: 5/10 

Armando Broja (free)

Cost: Free  Contract expiry: 2028  Weekly wage: 

The Albanian striker has been shipped off to Fulham after being deemed surplus to requirements among Pochettino’s army of big-money signings. 

One goal in 13 Premier League games hardly screams success.

Rating: 4/10 

Carney Chukwuemeka

Cost: £20m  Contract expiry: 2028  Weekly wage: £100k

Chukwuemeka, another of Chelsea’s young prospects, has been out for most of the season with a knee injury so hasn’t had the chance to impress. 

Difficult to judge his campaign but scored in the defeat at West Ham back in August.

Rating: 5/10 

Noni Madueke

Cost: £26m  Contract expiry: 2030  Weekly wage: £50,000 

Madueke came with a decent highlights reel but the 21-year-old has been unable to nail down a place in Pochettino’s starting XI, making just three Premier League starts this season. 

A total of 21 goals in 77 appearances in the Netherlands for PSV heightened expectations for the winger, whose £26m fee is yet to be justified.

Rating: 5/10 

….and what about Pochettino?

The Argentine is clearly not devoid of blame. Does he know his best XI? Why isn’t he getting the best out of a midfield which cost nearly a quarter-of-a-billion pounds?

These are just some of the questions Pochettino is yet to answer, and the tide is clearly beginning to turn against him, although his job is safe for now.

A nightmare month including a trip to Manchester City and a clash with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley could heap more pressure on the former Spurs man.

Yes, there are mitigating factors – he is still trying to blend in a host of relatively new players following a £400m spend in the transfer market – but Chelsea supporters are right to expect more. 

He must arrest the club’s recent decline or face becoming the latest to be thrown on the managerial scrapheap following a stint at Stamford Bridge. 

Rating: 5/10