Chelsea's Transfer Struggles: Rooney's Critique of Gittens and Garnacho
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have grown used to the spotlight since taking control at Chelsea, but the glare has rarely felt as harsh as it does now. Results have stuttered, the squad looks bloated and uneven, and one of English football’s most recognisable voices has put his finger on what he sees as the core problem.
Wayne Rooney doesn’t buy the project as it stands.
On his BBC podcast, the former Manchester United captain homed in on Chelsea’s transfer calls on the wings, highlighting a sequence of decisions that, in his view, has tilted the balance of power towards Arsenal.
“I think Chelsea will have to sell some players because they’ve got a big squad and have made some very strange signings,” Rooney said. Then came the example that stung. “Selling [Noni] Madueke to Arsenal and signing Gittens, I just didn’t get that, I didn’t understand it. I never got the signing of Garnacho, so there’s been some very strange signings.”
Madueke shines, Gittens stalls
The contrast could hardly be sharper.
Since crossing London to join Arsenal, Madueke has blossomed. He has slotted into Mikel Arteta’s high-intensity system, added thrust and end product in the final third, and helped drive the Gunners to the brink of a Premier League title and into a Champions League final. His move, once questioned, now looks like one of the shrewdest pieces of business in recent seasons.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have been left trying to justify the decision to replace him.
Gittens arrived at Stamford Bridge with a hefty £52m price tag and the expectation that he would inject pace, unpredictability and goals into a remodelled attack. Instead, the numbers tell a more sobering story: one goal in 27 appearances. For a club crying out for cutting edge, it has become a symbol of the wider miscalculation.
The pressure has built with every miscontrolled touch, every chance that fizzles out. Critics argue Chelsea have gambled too heavily on potential, stacking the squad with prospects rather than proven performers, and paid for it with a frontline that flatters to deceive.
Garnacho move under the microscope
Rooney’s scepticism doesn’t stop with Gittens.
He also questioned the logic behind prising Alejandro Garnacho away from Manchester United. The Argentine’s switch to west London carried huge hype: a fearless winger, already a fan favourite at Old Trafford, arriving for around £40m to light up Stamford Bridge.
The reality has been far more subdued.
Garnacho has struggled to find the same spark in blue that made him such a menace in red. The direct running is there in flashes, but the end product has largely vanished. Just one Premier League goal so far, and with it a growing sense among supporters that the club may have paid for a reputation rather than a ready-made solution.
Rooney’s verdict is blunt. The squad is too big, too raw, and short of the right voices.
“There’s players there they need to get rid of to get some more experience in and help the young players,” he said. In other words: trim the excess, bring in leaders, give the dressing room a spine.
Alonso’s arrival changes the stakes
For all the criticism, Rooney does see a path out of the muddle.
That route runs through Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea have handed the Spaniard a four-year deal and, crucially, the title of manager rather than head coach. It is a small change on paper, but a significant one in English football’s internal language. Manager implies authority over the broader sporting direction, not just the training pitch.
Rooney likes that shift. He believes it signals a willingness from the ownership to listen to a football man who, by reputation, will demand more seasoned professionals around his young talents.
“I like the fact Alonso has been announced as manager and not head coach,” Rooney said. “They’ve got some very talented players so if they get the signings right in the summer I actually think they could be up there challenging for the title. The players will want to play for him because he’s got aura about him.”
That aura, and that word “manager”, now carry heavy responsibility. Chelsea’s recruitment model has come under relentless fire; Alonso’s success may hinge on how far he is allowed to reshape it. If he can blend the club’s array of gifted youngsters with the kind of hardened, proven performers Rooney is calling for, the narrative around Stamford Bridge could change quickly.
If not, the questions over Madueke, Gittens and Garnacho will feel less like isolated missteps and more like the defining story of this era.
