Carlo Ancelotti has warned Chelsea’s owners they must be patient in their bid to turn the club into a European force once again.

BlueCo took over from Roman Abramovich in 2022 – just a year after the west London club won the Champions League – and have gone through managers Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino since.

Enzo Maresca is the latest boss tasked with taking the Blues forward. The Italian has a young core of players to work with as he attempts to build on last season’s finish of sixth, but Chelsea’s recent approach in the transfer market has attracted criticism.

Current Real Madrid manager Ancelotti, who won a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009/10 before leaving Stamford Bridge in 2011, says his old side have made good acquisitions in recent years but urged their top officials like Todd Boehly to stay calm during their pursuit of future success.

Ahead of Madrid’s pre-season friendly with Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ancelotti told reporters: “It’s changed a lot. They invested a lot.

“They have a good squad, good players, young. They have a young manager. They need to be a little bit patient, the owners, to take experience, to grow. But the signings that they have [made] are really good.”

Chelsea have added Omari Kellyman, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Viega and Caleb Wiley to their squad so far this summer and are set to lose Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid after failing to agree a new contract with the England international.

The Blues have had a mixed pre-season so far, drawing with League One side Wrexham before suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to Celtic. They then beat Mexican outfit Club America before being downed 4-2 by Premier League champions Manchester City.

Madrid, meanwhile, only recently jetted out to the United States and lost to Clasico rivals Barcelona with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe absent.

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