Chelsea have some big decisions to make before the summer transfer window closes on September 3rd
The 2026 summer transfer window looks set to be a watershed moment for Chelsea. Their owners seemingly vowed to change their ways, after the ‘buy-‘em-young-flip-‘em-for-big-bucks’ transfer strategy failed spectacularly. A model that just about worked from a business perspective simply didn’t function when it came to the actual football, with a disjointed mishmash of players in an unbalanced squad failing to operate or progress with any kind of cohesion.
Xabi Alonso is the new man at the helm, and with the owner’s blessing, he’s believed to have played a crucial role in the Blues’ big summer rebuild so far. While he was unable to get hold of number one target Granit Xhaka from Sunderland, he’s looked to have bagged experienced leaders in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, both of whom are expected to sign in the near future.
While the veteran England duo are likely to have limited playing time, they will serve a vital role in filling the leadership void at the club. Further experience has come with the mega-money signing of Morgan Rogers, who will be an integral part of Chelsea’s attack this season. The shaky defence has also been addressed, with the incoming signing of Premier League proven defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace.
So far, so good. There has also been a sprinkling of exciting raw talent added to the squad, with the signings of Geovany Quenda and Marco Palestra. Some would argue that this is the kind of balance that Chelsea should have looked to establish from the start - by all means, sign some wonderkids with an eye for a future, but don’t just cram them all into a Premier League side and expect them to impress without any seasoned warhorses alongside them to steady the ship.
With just over a month of the window left to go, we’re still expecting plenty more deals to go through at Chelsea - both new signings and exits. There are still a host of big questions still to be answered, so we’ve taken a look at the most pressing conundrums that need to be solved this summer.
Will Chelsea keep the faith with Robert Sanchez?
Robert Sanchez has struggled to convince as Chelsea's number one - could they sign a replacement?placeholder image
Robert Sanchez has struggled to convince as Chelsea's number one - could they sign a replacement? | Getty Images
In a past era, Robert Sanchez would have been a top class goalkeeper. On his day, the ex-Brighton prospect’s shot-stopping is elite, and he’s proven himself as a big-game player, with his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final in particular showcasing his ability to shine when it matters the most.
These days, goalkeepers can’t just rely on their ability to keep the ball out of the net - they now need to be good with their feet too and, for most teams, are required to zip the ball out from the back with composure and consistency. They are the first step in a flowing attacking move, and a series of misplaced passes can quickly unravel a grand gameplan.
In his three seasons at Chelsea, the 28-year-old has proven it’s a role he simply can’t perform effectively, with a wealth of evidence in the form of brutal blooper reels highlighting his calamitous attempts at distribution. Don’t even get us started on his positioning, set-piece defending and all-round decision making.
Alonso has made it clear that he intends to see how his stoppers fare in pre-season before making any decision on his number one for this season. At present, the gloves are Sanchez’s to lose, with highly promising youngster Mike Penders likely to be his deputy. Beyond that, the Blues are down to their academy options, with the unconvincing Filip Jorgensen set to be sold to Strasbourg.
It feels increasingly likely that Chelsea won’t go into the market for a new goalkeeper, and will instead persist with what they’ve got. Were they looking to bring one in, you’d have thought they’d have joined the race to sign James Trafford from Man City, who will now join Leeds United in a club record deal.
The 3AM Verdict: We expect Sanchez to stay, and the Blues to realise their mistake in January, before overpaying for a substandard replacement - you heard it here first. That, or Penders will usurp him within a couple of months. Either way, it’s not an ideal situation for the Blues, who continue to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to Sanchez’s ability.
Who will Chelsea’s striker options be for next season?
Joao Pedro could be the only one of Chelsea's existing strikers to remain at the club beyond this summer.placeholder image
Joao Pedro could be the only one of Chelsea's existing strikers to remain at the club beyond this summer. | AFP via Getty Images
If there’s one thing Chelsea’s recruitment team are good at, it’s buying terrible strikers. In fairness, this is a long-standing issue at the club, with their last decent striker before Pedro arguably being Diego Costa - he left Stamford Bridge almost a decade ago. Joao Pedro aside, the Blues have signed a host of absolute duds in the Todd Boehly era. A disinterested Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang; a wildly inconsistent Nicolas Jackson; an incredible raw Marc Guiu; a Liam Delap seemingly hellbent in breaking as many jaws as scoring Premier League goals.
Given how expensive top class strikers are these days, it’s unlikely that the Blues will lay down serious money to sign a new one this summer, especially with no European football and the need for squad rotation that comes with it. Pedro will be the first-choice forward, with Danny Welbeck likely to be the second or third in line to slot in when required.
If Welbeck is third choice, rather than the deputy, it does raise the question of who will fill that secondary role. Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, looks like he could well head to Aston Villa, while Premier League interest in Delap looks to be high, despite his dismal first campaign in west London - Everton, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle are all potential destinations.
One factor that perhaps hasn’t been discussed is Delap’s previously existing bond with Rogers and Cole Palmer. The trio all came through Manchester City’s youth academy together, and you would image that the opportunity to play alongside long-standing friends would provide additional motivation to fight for his place at the club.
The 3AM Verdict: We predict that Jackson will ultimately leave, be it on loan or permanently, with Delap and Welbeck providing backup options for Pedro. The likes of Marc Guiu, Deivid Washington, David Datro Fofana (remember him?!) will surely be sold, while new boys Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha will probably go out on loan.
What will happen with Enzo Fernandez?
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez faces an uncertain future at the clubplaceholder image
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez faces an uncertain future at the club | AFP via Getty Images
The future of Enzo Fernandez is a debate which continues to divide Chelsea fans. On one hand, you’ve got one of the club’s most consistent performers during a turbulent era, who has continued to churn out goals and assists along with an unfaltering work rate. Selling him would make the side undeniably weaker, and replacing him would be far from easy.
On the other hand, you’ve got a player who openly courted the attention of Real Madrid last season with that interview, which led to him being internally banned by his own club for two matches. It’s also largely forgotten that he had to apologise to a number of his teammates for singing that abhorrent song on the Argentina team bus after their Copa America win.
To sum it up, Chelsea have a world class, perhaps irreplaceable midfielder who makes highly questionable choices off the field, and appears to want to leave the club. It’s far from an ideal situation, and complicating the matter even further is that fact that there are very few clubs who could get close to matching Chelsea’s £100m+ demand for a player they bought for £107m three years ago.
Real Madrid were heavily linked with the World Cup finalists earlier this summer, but they appear to have now switched their attentions to Manchester City star Rodri. Should that happen, City are expected to move for Fernandez. That said, with Los Blancos set to blow over £100m on Yan Diomande, it might be one lever too far for the miraculous money pit of Real to also bankroll the Rodri deal. That would leave Fernandez stuck at Chelsea, unless PSG or Arsenal suddenly came into the picture.
Interestingly, buried away in the latest edition of The Athletic’s ‘Transfer DealSheet’ is a line suggesting that, with Henderson set to arrive from Brentford, the Blues will make no further midfield signings this summer. This strongly suggests that Fernandez is now expected to stay, with no need to go out and find a big-money replacement.
The 3AM Verdict: We have a feeling Fernandez will stay for one more season, before skipping off merrily into the sunset to join Real Madrid. Next summer, the Blues will stand a much better chance of signing Alex Scott or Adam Wharton, either of which could be Fernandez’s long-term replacement. Don’t bet against this outcome being pushed forward to January, mind.
What on earth will Chelsea do with all those centre-backs?
Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi both looks set to leave Chelsea this summerplaceholder image
Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi both looks set to leave Chelsea this summer | Getty Images
Monaco must have been roaring with laughter all the way to the bank when they somehow convinced Chelsea to part with a combined fee of over £70 million to sign disastrous duo Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi. The struggling pair will be among ten centre-backs on the books once Lacroix arrives, and even if Alonso plays a back three, that’s far too many.
Trevoh Chalobah looks like he could be set for pastures new, despite featuring heavily for Chelsea last season. Being a homegrown player, his sale will be particularly helpful for the club when it comes to balancing those increasingly complicated books. Malang Sarr and Aaron Anselmino will likely be sold eventually, but could postpone their permanent exits with a couple of loan spells this season.
Jorrel Hato’s versatility means he could well be switched into the left-back position as the club scramble to find a replacement for Marc Cucurella, while Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana have a decent chance of staying and fighting for first-team football under Alonso. Levi Colwill is, understandably, untouchable at present.
One more centre-back may well join to bolster the defensive numbers before the window closes, after a failed approach for England international John Stones saw the Blues go back to the drawing board. It remains to be seen whether they’ll look for a similarly experienced veteran, or will instead look for a more youthful talent to supplement their existing options.
The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea’s centre-back options are total hotchpotch of those who can and can’t play out from the back. A clearout and a reset is desperately needed, and we expect it to come in dribs and drabs over the coming weeks. By the end of the window, we reckon Lacroix, Colwill, Tosin, Fofana and a fresh signing to be the Blues set of available central defenders.