Go big or go gnome: how Chelsea’s transfer dealings inspired my new venture | Jonathan Liew
Asking a rival to take one of your best players for no fee while still paying most of his wages is a level of hustle I cannot match
There is a famous satirical tweet that goes something like: “Last night I asked my landlord to increase my rent. That’s how much I believe in my grind/hustle.” Well, last week, Chelsea asked one of their biggest rivals to take one of their best players for no fee, with no obligation to buy and with Chelsea still paying most of his wages. Clearly, Clearlake Capital’s belief in their grind/hustle has some way to run.
For all this, there are plenty of people out there who will tell you that Chelsea’s decision to play Raheem Sterling in all six of their pre-season fixtures, then decide to sell him, then fail to sell him, then pay him £200,000 a week to play for Arsenal, is a stroke of underrated genius, 4D strategising on a level the financially illiterate among us will never truly grasp. In which case, I have a luxury hotel for you to sell yourself.
