Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
It is fair to say that a lot of Chelsea supporters are disappointed with how the 2026 summer transfer window ended.
Chelsea were on the verge of signing Lamine Camara to replace Enzo Fernandez on deadline day, only for AS Monaco to cancel the deal at the very last minute.
Chelsea are thought to be fuming after Monaco’s decision to go back on their word, while fans are also far from happy.
There are now plenty of concerns about Chelsea’s midfield, but overall the Blues still had a very good transfer window.
Chelsea made over £500m in sales during transfer window
One reason why Chelsea’s transfer window will still go down as a success is because of how much money they were able to make.
The Club World Cup holders generated more than £500m from sales and loan fees, which is a British transfer record!
Chelsea have always been good sellers, even in the Roman Abramovich era, but this is the first time that they have raked in that level of money.
Fernandez’s sale really helped, with Manchester City signing the midfielder for a whopping £125m fee. Chelsea paid Benfica around £107m for Fernandez’s signature back in 2023, meaning that the Blues have made a profit from his sale to their Premier League rivals.
Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea
Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
With Fernandez gone, it will now be interesting to see who partners Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park.
Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson are Xabi Alonso’s other recognised midfield options, while Reece James and Malo Gusto have also played in the engine room this season.
Again, it looked like Chelsea had Camara in the bag, but the Senegal international will not be playing at Stamford Bridge this term and Alonso must now make do with what he has got. There will no doubt be a lot of eyes on Chelsea’s midfield after the club’s decision to sell Fernandez and failure to replace him.