How Chelsea's astonishing £550m line-up could look in 2026 - if Real Madrid & Barcelona targets are signedplaceholder image
How Chelsea's astonishing £550m line-up could look in 2026 - if Real Madrid & Barcelona targets are signed | AFP via Getty Images
A look at Chelsea’s potential starting line-up next year - if transfer rumours prove to be true.
Chelsea may be the reigning Club World Cup champions and showing considerable improvement under Enzo Maresca, but they’re hardly noted as a team that tend to stay still in the transfer market – and it would scarcely be a surprise if they didn’t splash out again in 2026 when the January and summer transfer windows roll around.
The Blues spent an estimated £285m over the summer of 2025 but are likely to be in a position to continue a record-breaking spending spree which started with the arrival of the current owners. But where will Behdad Eghbali, Todd Boehly and the rest of the BlueCo consortium direct their spending next year?
The rumour mill is already throwing a number of names out and the shortlist is starting to take shape as Chelsea plot out their spending for the coming year – so what might Maresca’s line-up look like once the dust settles?
Can Uzun and Marc Casadó among Chelsea’s midfield targets
While Chelsea’s first-choice midfield three of Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández is beyond reproach, fitness issues have revealed a lack of depth and Maresca is likely to want some more options in the middle of the park – and two names are starting to crop up as potential targets.
Eintracht Frankfurt have supposedly slapped a €80m (£69.5m) on attacking midfielder Can Uzun, but that may not deter Chelsea, who are believed in some quarters to be the Premier League club that have “express interest,” according to Florian Plettenberg. The teenager has already scored five goals in six Bundesliga games this season and he would offer an impressive rotational option alongside Palmer.
Barcelona’s impressive 22-year-old Marc Casadó, meanwhile, has been linked with a move away as the Catalan giants look for the next victim to sacrifice to their ever-present financial black hole – and Chelsea have been consistently linked by a number of outlets with a transfer which is likely to be worth around €50m (£43.5m). They would perhaps prefer to sign Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, but Casadó would be a cheaper option. Either way, the addition of a holding midfielder seems a certainty at some stage.
Will Chelsea make a bid for Vinícius Junior next summer?
While much might change between now and next summer, it’s looking increasingly likely that Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Junior won’t budge from his hefty demands as negotiations over a new contract rumble slowly on – and reports suggest that if a middle ground can’t be found, then Real could be ready to sell one of their most impressive players.
Chelsea could well have the financial clout not only to afford Vinícius but to meet his contract demands, so there’s at least an outside chance that one of the best forwards in the world moves to Stamford Bridge in 2026 – although it’s a bold and possibly foolish man who would actually put any money on it. There’s a long way to go between now and Vinícius actually leaving a club that seldom let top players leave.
One forward who will certainly be on the books next season is Emmanuel Emegha – Chelsea have already agreed a deal to sign the 22-year-old striker from sister club RC Strasbourg. He’ll provide competition for João Pedro and Liam Delap, and it’s unlikely that the club are looking for any more centre-forwards over the next 12 months.
Chelsea looking for new goalkeeper and defenders in 2026
While Chelsea gave up on efforts to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan over the summer, the Frenchman’s contract is up at the end of the season and there’s an increasing chance that he will become a free agent – it’s an opportunity that Chelsea are unlikely to pass up on.
Centre-back is another position of need. An injury to Levi Colwill has left Chelsea reliant on players that are either back-ups or youngsters such as Josh Acheampong, and it would be no surprise if the club didn’t work to find a bigger name to fill the void. Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is a name which has cropped up, although he is one of many. He would likely cost around £50m based on current press reports.
Other alleged targets include Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo and Juventus’ Bremer, but it now appears that Chelsea won’t be among the suitors for Marc Guéhi, a former player who is expected to leave Crystal Palace when his contract runs down next summer. That may change too, of course, but they would be entering a crowded field if they did try to sign the England international anyway.
Potential 2026 Chelsea starting XI if rumours prove true: Maignan; Cucurella, Colwill, Schlotterbeck, James; Caicedo, Fernández, Uzun; Vinícius, Palmer, Emegha.
Continue Reading