John Terry is confident Chelsea are primed to secure the best signing of the transfer window as the summer deadline approaches.
The appointment of Xavi Alonso as Liam Rosenior’s replacement has heralded a new dawn and change of approach at Stamford Bridge.
Having based their recruitment strategy on signing the best young talent available in Europe and South America with limited success, Chelsea finally appear to have learned from their mistakes.
As such, an exciting squad has been replenished with a smattering of wise old Premier League heads in the shape of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.
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After watching Robert Sanchez make two costly errors in Monday’s 3-2 win over Fulham, meanwhile, Alonso is ready to wield the axe again in ruthless fashion.
Having previously declared himself happy with Chelsea’s goalkeeping options, Alonso saw enough at Craven Cottage and swiftly sanctioned the signing of Emiliano Martinez.
Former Chelsea skipper Terry worked with the Argentina international during their time together at Aston Villa and he feels the experienced former Arsenal star represents the best deal done by any club over the course of the summer.
‘Emi Martinez coming in the building I think is the signing of the summer,’ Terry said on his YouTube channel.
‘What a world class goalkeeper he is. If I had any choice who I’d go and sign in the world he would be right at the very top for me.
‘We signed him at Aston Villa from Arsenal and he was unbelievable. The confidence he shows, the confidence he shows, the way he trains, the influence he has over the group of players, the mindset is incredible.
‘He’s someone who wants to win day in and day out, hates conceding goals in training, loves keeping clean sheets. Everything about this guy, trust me, is top, top, top.
‘So excited to have him in the building, he’s great with his feet, a great shot stopper, but what I love about him the most, other than his penalty saves, has to be the way he commands the box, takes the ball at the highest point, takes the pressure off the defenders.’
The clear shift in policy, meanwhile, has left Chelsea in a far better place and equipped to challenge for major honours, according to Terry.
He added: ‘Just in terms of singings in the last couple of years, many of us raised eyebrows with too many young players, not enough experienced players in the building.
‘I think what the ownership and sporting directors have done this summer has to be one of the best windows in the last 10 years of all football clubs.
‘They’ve released players at a profit that have unfortunately not worked out that we thought we paid too much for in the first place but made a profit so great business.
‘The experienced players we’ve brought in the building with the likes of Estevao, Cole Palmer, all these boys at such a young age sometimes need those experienced players around them in the tough moments.
‘When you’ve got boys who have been around it for so long it’s going to serve the whole group so well.’
