Chelsea’s ambitious transfer strategy under their new ownership has resulted in mixed success, with signings like Cole Palmer proving excellent acquisitions, while others have failed to make an impact. Deivid Washington, who joined Chelsea from Santos for £17m in August 2023, is now considered one of the club’s biggest recent transfer mistakes. Despite arriving with high expectations, Washington has made just three senior appearances, accumulating a total of 25 minutes on the pitch. Instead, he has been relegated to the Under-21s, where he has performed well, scoring four goals in five Premier League 2 matches this season. However, with Chelsea struggling for reliable strikers, many feel he was never given a fair chance to prove himself. Rather than integrating him into the first team, Chelsea are now sending him back to Santos on a season-long loan, raising concerns that he may never play for the club again. Critics argue that if Washington wasn’t in Maresca’s plans, he should have been loaned out to an English club last summer to aid his development.