Chelsea had signed Neymar 2.0, now he’s struggling big time since leaving

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has certainly put his money where his mouth is since taking over the reins back in May 2022 from Roman Abramovich.

The American businessman paid £4.25b to take control of the club, but he’s also invested heavily in the playing squad since his arrival.

Boehly has splashed £1.2b on new players, looking to make key additions to make an immediate impact, whilst also keeping one eye on the future with big money spent on young prospects.

Such transfers have allowed Enzo Maresca to take to life at Stamford Bridge like a duck to water, leading the Blues to second place after the first 14 Premier League outings.

It was one window before his arrival that set the club on their way, looking to end their lengthy wait for a league triumph.

Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2023

During the summer of 2023, Chelsea owner Boehly dropped £400m on new signings to try and avoid a repeat of the season prior.

The Blues ended the season in 12th place, their lowest finish for well over a decade, in what was a transitional period after the American’s takeover 12 months earlier.

His statement addition came in the form of midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, forking out £115m – a British record fee – for the services of the Ecuadorian.

It was the second time in a matter of months the club splashed a fee of over £100m on a player, with Enzo Fernández costing £106.8m in the January before the summer window.

Nicolas Jackson was also signed to add firepower in the attacking areas, now looking to be well worth his £32m fee after his start to 2024/25, which has seen him already score eight times in the Premier League.

However, the club also invested in a crop of youngsters for the future, including one star who arrived in England with huge expectations for the future – but he’s been unable to produce the levels many expected.

The player who Chelsea thought could’ve been their own Neymar

Deivid Washington was just one prospect signed during the aforementioned window, arriving as one of many during an influx of Brazilian youth stars moving to West London.

However, former Santos teammate Angelo Gabriel was another to join the Blues in 2023, having huge expectations placed on his shoulders after being compared to Neymar by former coach Betinho:

“He is like Neymar in terms of his dribbling at speed and his change of direction.”

The attacker joined at the age of just 18, before being sent on a season-long loan to sister side Strasbourg for the 2023/24 campaign to gain European game time.

He would make 21 Ligue 1 appearances during his temporary stint, failing to score a single goal, but managing to register three assists – leading to analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him a “world-class” talent.

Angelo was included in Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the USA, impressing against Wrexham, in particular, but was ultimately unable to force his way into Maresca’s plans and departed the Bridge without making a single appearance.

The winger would join Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in the summer in a deal worth £19m – banking a £4m profit despite his lack of impact for the Blues.

He’s since struggled to make a name for himself in the Middle East, scoring just twice since his transfer in the summer – yet to demonstrate why he was so highly rated back in his homeland.

Given his lack of success during the ongoing season, Maresca may have made the right call in allowing him to depart permanently – especially considering the form of the likes of Jackson in recent months.

Undoubtedly, he has huge potential and plenty of time to fulfil such promise, but as of yet, Angelo is yet to demonstrate why he received such high praise during his time at Santos.