REUTERS/John Sibley
Chelsea will be hoping to put deadline day behind them and forget it ever happened, whilst also cancelling any immediate trips to Monaco.
The Blues had Lamine Camara all but signed and sealed. It looked like their waiting game had paid off as Monaco accepted a deal and the midfielder commenced his medical.
REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
That is why, when the window closed and he was heading back to his club, those at Stamford Bridge were all the more frustrated with what they deemed an unprofessional act from Monaco.
For all their complaints, however, there is nothing to be done in west London except look towards the free agent market.
|||||
Chelsea's summer signings 26/27 Nationality Previous Club Fee
Morgan Rogers England Aston Villa £117m
Maxence Lacroix France Crystal Palace £52m
Marco Palestra Italy Atalanta £48.5m
Geovany Quenda Portugal Sporting CP £42.5m
Valentin Barco Argentina Strasbourg £34m
Denner Brazil Corinthians £8.5m
Emiliano Martinez Argentina Aston Villa £7.5m
Danny Welbeck England Brighton £5m
Dastan Satpayev Kazakhstan Kairat Almaty £2m
Emmanuel Emegha Netherlands RC Strasbourg Undisclosed
Jordan Henderson England Brentford Free
It's why Georginio Wijnaldum was instantly linked with a move, as Chelsea looked to reunite Jordan Henderson with his former Liverpool teammate, before those rumours quickly came to an end. The Dutchman has since joined Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia to end that rumour for good.
Even without the former Liverpool man, there are still options for Chelsea to turn to on the free agent market. It's not their ideal scenario, but not even Xabi Alonso can deny that there are solutions at a bargain price, with Renato Sanches being one of them.
The former Bayern Munich man has been available since September 1 and could yet be on his way to the Premier League for the first time since a torrid Swansea City spell in 2017/2018.
Chelsea launch approach to sign Renato Sanches
REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
As reported by Foot Mercato and relayed by Sport Witness, Chelsea launched an approach to sign Sanches on a free transfer after the window slammed shut. They held talks with the four-time Bundesliga winner, seeking an alternative to Camara, who stayed put at Monaco.
However, after holding those talks, the Blues came to the decision to stick with what they have rather than welcome the free agent. Whether that stance lasts the test of time is now the big question.
||
Renato Sanches career honours
Euros
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
German Cup
UEFA Nations League
German Super Cup
Liga Portugal
Portuguese League Cup
French Super Cup
With no European football, squad depth is not as urgent for Xabi Alonso, but injuries could quickly change that. The Spaniard has already been without Moises Caicedo this season and an injury to one other midfielder could create some emergency options.
The good news for those at Stamford Bridge is that Sanches will remain an option as long as he is a free agent. Negotiations should not prove too tough either, given that the 29-year-old shares the same agency as Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto.
On paper, whilst Sanches is someone who failed to reach his potential, he is also a player who has had experience at Bayern Munich, PSG and AS Roma. That in itself could be invaluable in a young squad.