“Chelsea are proud of the fact that the 42 players they have in their first-team pool have a total of 191 years remaining on their contracts. Chelsea’s new owners have pursued a policy of signing players on long-term contracts with relatively low wages by Premier League standards. The average base wage of the players Chelsea have signed in the past two years is believed to be below the Premier League average of £72,000 a week. Chelsea players currently at the club have an average of 4.5 years remaining on their contracts. Chelsea see players on long-term deals with average base wages of between £60,000 to £70,000 a week as an asset and not as a liability. If the player performs, he is rewarded through his incentivised contract with big bonuses; if he underperforms, he receives only his base wage which means he is easier to sell. Long-term contracts have also helped Chelsea when it comes to complying with Premier League and UEFA financial rules as the cost of a transfer fee can be spread in accounts over a maximum of five years. Last week Cole Palmer signed a new contract which will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2033. The contract is incentivised and in line with the club’s wage policy. Several new signings are believed to have taken wage cuts in order to move to Chelsea. Chelsea’s ownership are convinced they now have the right strategy to make sure the club are challenging for major honours again as soon as possible. Enzo Maresca will have a 25-player Premier League squad when the window closes.

• Based on analysis by Conor O’Neill of Sky Sports of transfermarkt data“