Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has hinted at a change of strategy in the transfer market this summer after huge spending on new players by the Blues over the past couple of years.
Ahead of Monday night's Premier League game against Everton, Chelsea are down in ninth place in what has been a difficult debut season at the club for Pochettino and his players.
And that is despite a massive outlay on new players since the arrival of owner Todd Boehly in 2022, with over £1 billion spent on transfers – including agents fees – in that time.
The plan has not worked yet and Pochettino, whose own future is also thought to be under scrutiny, says Chelsea might need to take a different direction this summer.
"We can keep going in the same way with the policy [to sign young players]," the Argentine told reporters.
"But in the squad, we have Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Bettinelli. Maybe Marcus isn't playing but he does a fantastic job helping the young guys.
"We have experienced players in the squad. It is not going against the project to have some players who are helping the young guys to perform, to be professional, and to understand what it means to be in the Premier League and to be at Chelsea.
"We need to talk and decide the strategy for next season."
Silva, who is 39, is expected to leave Chelsea in the summer and if he does, the Blues will have the youngest squad in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the Blues have also been hampered by a severe injury crisis this term and Pochettino said: "There are too many circumstances that make it difficult for the team to evolve. And that is part of the process. Of course, this season is going to help us make the right decisions for next season. That was the question before.
"We need to bring more young players and some experienced players. That is all about talking with the club, analysing, and deciding the strategy for next season. That is really important.
"We need to assess all the boys. Why were players injured, will they suffer injuries in the future, and what is the history of their injuries?
"It’s so important because we need to manage the situation. Now, we have the reality because we are inside and have the information. And now it is about talking to the club and deciding the best strategy again to be competitive next season and to fight for big things."
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