Chelsea’s struggles raise concerns over the club’s muddled recruitment policy… with Mauricio Pochettino’s squad lacking leadership, team spirit and experience

Chelsea’s transfer decisions are under scrutiny amid internal concerns over the club’s £1 billion recruitment drive.

Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure after a difficult first season at the club that left them languishing in 11th place in the Premier League.

It is believed that his position is not in immediate danger. The club prefers to wait out the season before assessing Pochettino’s performances ahead of next season.

But it is understood that Mail Sport understands that if the club’s season continues to deteriorate, these plans could be brought forward.

But as the Argentine’s performances are assessed, the spotlight shifts to those responsible for player recruitment as the club identifies factors behind their problems despite spending big on new players.

Paul Winstanely, Laurence Stewart and Joe Shields all hold senior recruitment positions and have turned their attention to recruiting young players. But behind the scenes there is a feeling that the team lacks leadership and experience.

Traditionally, the club has relied on senior professionals such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech to keep standards high, but also to ensure that the manager’s tactical instructions are implemented on the pitch.

But in Sunday’s 4-2 home defeat to Wolves, only Thiago Silva and substitute Marcus Bettinelli were over 30 in the matchday squad.

A Premier League coach told Mail Sport on Monday that they have deliberately identified Chelsea’s young core as a specific weakness this season.

Sources have indicated that the fact that there are at least three different recruitment voices has led to difficulties in implementing a clear transfer strategy in the post-Roman Abramovich era.

There are also concerns that their policy of signing younger players has led to complications in adapting the team to different tactics and playing patterns, especially when they come from teams with defined tactical structures.

Thiago Silva was one of only two players over the age of 30 in Chelsea’s squad on Sunday

Furthermore, squad morale is said to be noticeably low at Chelsea’s Cobham headquarters.

Insiders close to the first-team squad describe an atmosphere where players leave as soon as they can after training ends, with team members rarely staying behind to do extra work.

There are also concerns about players’ ability to receive analytical information. Certain players are also said to have shown difficulty in accepting critical feedback.

And while there is recognition behind the scenes that Pochettino has not performed as expected, it is also noted that there are a number of mitigating factors related to the team’s poor season, namely injuries.

It is also acknowledged that the Argentine has had little or no influence on the club’s recruitment strategy. The club did not sign any players in January, despite Pochettino wanting a left back and striker.

Meanwhile, there are fears that Conor Gallagher’s value will plummet ahead of the summer transfer window.

The England midfielder, who has regularly captained the side this season, was among the players the club considered selling in January.

Chelsea are in eleventh place in the Premier League after the 4-2 home defeat against Wolves

But his £50million valuation is likely to drop significantly as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at the end of the season.

Provided he does not sign a new contract between now and the summer, Chelsea will have to consider offers for Gallagher in the next window or risk losing him on a free transfer in 2025.

However, Chelsea are now unlikely to get back the £50m they want for Gallagher, which will impact Chelsea’s spending power in the summer.