Champions Chelsea have been told that the club's big-spending days are over and that billionaire owner Roman Abramovich will no longer bankroll multi-million-pound transfers or bumper contracts.

Some players have had bonus payments reduced - effectively a pay cut - and been told that there will be no major signings in the future unless the club generate the money to pay for them.
The players were called to a meeting at the club's Cobham training ground where they were addressed by chief executive Ron Gourlay and chairman Bruce Buck.The executives spelled out the message from Abramovich that the club have to live within their means and that cutbacks are necessary.

Players who signed contracts before 2009 still have win bonuses guaranteed but most contracts signed since last year have them guaranteed only on a season-by-season basis and bonuses have been cut back this year.Coaching staff and catering costs at Cobham have also been slashed.It is a far cry from Abramovich's early days in English football when he spent £230million in two years after taking over Chelsea in 2003. That spree included the capture of £24m Michael Essien, £23m Didier Drogba and £20m Ricardo Carvalho as well as less successful signings, such as £17m Hernan Crespo, £17m Damien Duff, £16m Adrian Mutu and £15m Juan Sebastian Veron.Under the new, strict regime, indulgences such as the decision by Abramovich himself to spend £31m on Andriy Shevchenko in 2006, even though then manager Jose Mourinho did not want him, will not be repeated.

Chelsea have been relatively frugal in the transfer market, with major signings now limited to one per season, including the £16m capture of Ramires last month. The 23-year-old Brazil midfielder is understood to be on wages of approximately £1m a year, which will help to drive down Chelsea's wage bill.

The policy is consistent with the rhetoric of Chelsea's owners and former chief executive Peter Kenyon, who had claimed the club would be self-sufficient by 2010, although he subsequently revised the deadline to 2012.
Despite a well-publicised move to convert Chelsea's debts to Abramovich into stock, the Russian oligarch is still owed £726m by the club's holding company, Fordstam. Chelsea have made a staggering £493m of losses since the Russian took over the club, including a record loss of £140.2m in 2005.Since then they have steadily reduced spending, the 2009 accounts showing losses down to £44.5m.

Yup, time to scout for unknown talent around the world. Woot! Woot!

better digg talent from our youth rather then scout for younger talent...still need to fork out money...

And I wonder where do you think our youth talent come from? 

from chelsea soccer schools...some parents (foreign) send their kids to soccer school there where it started...or maybe they scout with UK schools who are active in soccer.

But that's only part of the puzzle. Most of the time you need to look beyond your own backyard in order to compete effectively. Roman only said 'big-spending' days are over. He doesn't mean 'spending' days are over. Transfers will go on as usual but it's just that there will not be Shevchenko-ish signing in the future anymore.

Maybe superstitious ? Last time ppl predict and things got ugly real life on field perhaps ? I would understand things like that. I hv my own superstitious things that I do or not do with regards to Chelsea.

Our number 5's strength and stamina is famous throughout world football and Ancelotti values a physical presence in the middle of the park, although he will not exclude Essien from the current round of squad rotation.

'I think he needs to rest because he was involved in all the games and he will have a rest, maybe next week' by Carlo..

Wow..bold decision Carlo..rest Essien against MC..rest him tonight..Mikel-Benayoun-Ramires can deal with Blackpool..I sense leaking in the back 4 tonight..hmm hopefully not...

Carlo Ancelotti is set to be offered a new deal that will keep him at Chelsea until 2014.

The Italian boss, 51, led the Blues to a historic Premier League and FA Cup double last season – and has made a huge impression on billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

Ancelotti signed a three year deal worth £3million a-year, when he arrived at Stamford Bridge from AC Milan.

That will be extended by at least another two if talks go well with Abramovich.

The Russian has been ­delighted with the developing style and panache of his team under Ancelotti.

Last season Chelsea scored a record 103 goals when winning the title.

They go into today’s clash with Blackpool with a 100 per cent record and a ­four goals-a-game average.

It’s the style of ­football that was the Abramovich blueprint for Ancelotti.

And the boss has achieved the progress with only one major signing this ­summer – that of £20m Brazilian midfielder Ramires.

Ancelotti also showed that he can play hard ball in the transfer market.

That was illustrated in the close season when Ashley Cole was on the wish list of new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, but ­Ancelotti insisted from day one: “Cole’s going nowhere.”

And the England star duly stayed.