Jamie Carragher did not hold back on his criticism of Chelsea, urging the club to ‘stop signing’ new players.

It was reported on Monday that Chelsea had agreed a deal to re-sign Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid for a fee believed to be around £46m, with the Portuguese footballer becoming their 10^th signing of the window so far.

The deal would allow Conor Gallagher to move in the other direction, despite the important role he played in Chelsea’s team last season.

“Chelsea have just got to stop buying players, and players have got to stop signing for Chelsea,” Carragher said on Monday Night Football.

“If I was a player I don’t know why you would sign for Chelsea, the only reason you would sign is because someone – your agent – might say ‘You’re getting a seven-year deal and that’s guaranteed money for seven years.

“You know what I’d say? Back yourself as a player, sign a four-year deal at a proper club and back yourself to do well, and then when you’re due for a renewal, your money goes up anyway.

“I don’t understand why players are signing seven-year deals.”

A number of Chelsea’s more experienced players were left out of the squad to face Manchester City at the weekend including Raheem Sterling.

Sterling released a statement asking for ‘clarity’ on why he was left out of Enzo Maresca’s matchday squad for the opening Premier League game.

“There isn’t anything there. It’s not a young and exciting team. You’ve bought Joao Felix right, tell me where he’s going to play.

“They signed Neto a week ago, where’s he going to play when he’s already got Cole Palmer.

“Where would you play Enzo Fernandez, a £100m player who plays number 10, where would you play (Christopher) Nkunku.

“Great football teams need competition, but every football team I played in, there was seven or eight players who knew they were playing every week, and then you’ve got six or seven players who are fighting for the positions and then you’ve got another six or seven who know they’re squad players.

“That is a healthy squad. If you’ve got 40 players, how are they all in one dressing room, how are you putting a training session on.”