Chelsea manager Frank Lampard says it was never his intention to solely rely on the team's academy.
The Blues added a lot of youth team players into the squad last season due to their transfer ban.
But they have gone back to their big spending ways this summer, securing stars such as Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.
The Blues got off to a winning start in the Premier League, defeating Brighton 3-1 away from home on Monday night.
Lampard told Sky Sports: "I loved the nurturing last year, but I never wanted us to become an academy club. That story is great for five minutes and those debuts when you hand them out are really nice, but then it moves very quickly to people asking if you can win games now.
"When you see the injection of players and what they can bring - they have all brought personality with them already - that should bring a level of competition that lifts the squad to new levels.
"My feeling and my senses suggest the players are feeling that, but we have to show that on the pitch, and it is my job to manage that and take us forward.
"Last year we spoke a lot about the transfer ban, and it was very relevant. To come fourth last year was a big achievement and it certainly felt that way with the competition around us. That's done now, and now we are looking at whether we can get better, whether we can improve as a club?
"I'm a Chelsea fan and any fan should get excited about the type of players we have brought in. It's something we had a long look at last year. The ban allowed us to look at areas we wanted to improve, the profile, type and age of player we wanted to improve us in the long term.
"It feels good because it has been work, it's what you set out to do. Recruitment is a huge part of trying to be a club that is successful at the top of the Premier League.
"Liverpool and Manchester City are big examples of that, they have got big coaches and great players they have brought in at the right time. We've made positive moves, now it comes down to work and whether we can show it on the pitch."
