Graham Potter Defend Chelsea's Transfer Spending After loosing £400m Worth Of Players After Mudryk's Deal

Speaking after the loss to Fulham, he said: "I think the basics we can do better in terms of our defending and some of our football actions.

"But at the same time, we get back in the game and then the red card...it's where we're at at the moment in terms of things that can happen to us. We lost Denis [Zakaria] beforehand as well and were just adjusting with Jorginho and then Joao [Felix] – who was having a fantastic impact on the game and you could see his quality – to lose him and to lose him for three matches is really disappointing."

Even before that he had addressed the problems after losing to Manchester City in the league, saying, "I’ve never experienced anything like it and I’d ideally not want experience it here. But it is what it is, I have to just carry on.”

Potter is without nearly £400m worth of players right now. For players such as Reece James and Armando Broja we have used their Transfermarkt valuation (£61m for James and £26m for Broja) as well as £11m for Felix on loan (well below his transfer price) and the £26m option to buy for Denis Zakaria.

The other missing players in this list are Edouard Mendy, Wesley Fofana, Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling and N'Golo Kante.

including a spate of first team ready stars on loan - and Boehly is only adding to this in January, there is reason for it. Their attacking options in particular are plentiful. Considering the incoming Christopher Nkunku alongside Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi, there are an entire XI of attackers employed by the club.

Mykhailo Mudryk for £62m plus add-ons is included in that and Boehly's spending has been described as reckless, whilst others would argue it is also necessary. As for Potter, he hasn't gone as far as to use injuries as the excuse for Chelsea's spending but he is always willing to point out the factors that have led to this situation.

In essence, Boehly's spending is extensive but to spend £400m and then to be without £400m worth of players is a reality check. The Blues are consistently labelled as a side having spent vast amounts of money only to find themselves 10th in the league, which is true, but when those assets aren't available it provides some perspective on the landscape at the club, on and off the field.