Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has heavily criticised Chelsea’s recruitment strategy, claiming the club has wasted an alarming amount of money on underperforming players.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Agbonlahor pointed out how several high-profile signings have failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.

“Look at some of the players they’ve paid big money for, and they simply don’t play.”

He singled out Mykhailo Mudryk as a major disappointment, branding his transfer a complete failure.

“The signing of Mudryk was a disaster.”

Agbonlahor also criticised Chelsea’s squad for lacking leadership and questioned the contributions of other big-money signings.

“Neto didn’t even try to keep his player on the pitch in the match against Brighton. He came for the big money. Muduke can play well one week, and poorly the next. Fernandez is being mocked in midfield.

“Honestly, there’s a lack of leadership and quality. It’s frightening how much money they’ve wasted.”

He also pointed out that Benoît Badiashile, who cost Chelsea £35 million, has barely been seen in action, further highlighting the club’s questionable spending.

“Badiashile cost £35 million, but we haven’t seen him play. Enzo, Neto, and Nkunku were expensive. They spent £45 million on Felix, and then loaned him out.”

Concluding his scathing assessment, Agbonlahor summed up Chelsea’s spending spree as reckless and inefficient.

“Look at how much money they’ve thrown away.”

With Chelsea continuing to struggle under Enzo Maresca, criticism of the club’s recruitment strategy is intensifying, leaving fans questioning whether the club’s investment has been justified.