Chelsea set bizarre summer transfer rule which forced them to not consider signing James Maddison and James Ward-Prowse: Reports

Chelsea have begun the season in disastrous fashion, picking up only five points from their opening six matches of the campaign. Based solely on their summer outlay, the Blues were expected to have an excellent season, but that has not been the case.

The Blues came under the ownership of American billionaire Todd Boehly and his consortium in 2022. The owners have spent around a billion pounds since arriving at the club, but they have been known to focus mostly on young players. The club lost more than ten senior players this summer, but opted for young, expensive prospects as their replacements.

Journalist Matt Law revealed that there was a particular age cap put in place by the club's directors and owners on their potential additions.

[Matt Law] Chelsea refused to sign anybody over the age of 25 this summer which means James Maddison, 26, was not considered. byu/Zyaru incoys

The Blues needed an attacking midfielder after completing the sales of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, but opted against signing the available James Maddison. They also decided not to make a move for former Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse to beef up their midfield.

These decisions came after the club decided against pursuing any players aged 25 and above, as they look to build a team for the future. Thus, players like England U-21 international Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo were signed by the club this summer.

Many have attributed their struggles to the huge amount of inexperience in their squad. The average age of all the summer signings by the club was just over 20 years. Their squad also has an average age of around 23 years despite 39-year-old Thiago Silva being in it.

Chelsea have placed themselves in the spotlight with their summer choices

Chelsea chose to sign young players with little or no Premier League experience this summer, and have struggled since. Their problems have not been totally down to their summer business, but were amplified by their choices in the summer.

Injuries have crippled Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino this season, with the Argentine forced to play with multiple important players out. Forward Christopher Nkunku and midfielder Romeo Lavia joined the club this summer but are yet to feature due to injury.

The club will have to turn their fortunes around soon as they are only three places above the relegation zone. The owners and manager will be under increased scrutiny unless the players find form quickly and deliver a string of results.