Chelsea have handed all transfer decisions to football chief Frank Arnesen.
The Guardian says the move has weakened manager Jose Mourinho's influence at Stamford Bridge. The two men have a discordant relationship and the manager's position has been perceptibly undermined now that Arnesen is effectively acting as technical director.
The rise of Arnesen's star will put more pressure on Mourinho to deliver the Champions League in return for what has been almost £100m of investment in players' transfer and wage costs this summer.
The arrivals of the world-renowned Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko mark a shift in transfer policy during this transfer window, with an emphasis on highly marketable players as Arnesen seeks to manufacture the team of glitterati Roman Abramovich craves.
The Guardian says the move has weakened manager Jose Mourinho's influence at Stamford Bridge. The two men have a discordant relationship and the manager's position has been perceptibly undermined now that Arnesen is effectively acting as technical director.
The rise of Arnesen's star will put more pressure on Mourinho to deliver the Champions League in return for what has been almost £100m of investment in players' transfer and wage costs this summer.
The arrivals of the world-renowned Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko mark a shift in transfer policy during this transfer window, with an emphasis on highly marketable players as Arnesen seeks to manufacture the team of glitterati Roman Abramovich craves.
