3. Spending Power
There was a time when Roman Abramovic could open a cheque book and buy whoever his heart desired. However, if you look at recent spending patterns between this season and the seasons before, you notice a dramatic decline in spending power. This summer Chelsea spent £75million on the likes of Hazard, Marin, Oscar and Victor Moses. Compare that to the £71million they spent on just two players in January 2011, when £50million was sunk into the capture of Fernando Torres and a further £21million for David Luiz. Chelsea are no longer the big spenders in English football. That mantle now belongs to Manchester City. Sheikh Mansour has spent a staggering £1billion on players since 2008 alone, dwarfing any transfer fees Chelsea have ever paid in the same period. Put simply, Chelsea are no longer the financial powerhouse of old. That could cost them in the title race over the next few seasons.