Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Chelsea FC at Amex Stadium on February 14, 2025 in Brighton, England
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side looks in need of a refreshing in the summer
Before Christmas, nobody would have anticipated Chelsea's title challenge ending as quickly as it did.
Enzo Maresca's side appeared to be Liverpool's closest title contenders when they went into their Boxing Day home clash against Fulham. After losing 2-1 at home to the Cottagers, the Blues have only won three of their last nine Premier League matches and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton and Hove Albion.
Despite Chelsea possessing the most expensive squad in Europe, there remains doubt in several areas of the pitch. The Blues have broken the bank on several occasions, including shattering the Premier League transfer record to sign Enzo Fernandez in 2023 before doing so again to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
However, there are many experienced and quality players who will be free agents come the end of the season. Mirror Football looks at five stars the Blues can pick up for nothing in the summer.
David De Gea
David De Gea of Fiorentina looks on during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Fiorentina at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 10, 2025 in Milan, Italy
David De Gea has been a revelation since he joined Fiorentina
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Chelsea are at a goalkeeping crossroads. Neither Robert Sanchez nor summer signing Filip Jorgensen have convinced, and the Blues' board also believe young shot-stoppers Djordje Petrovic and Mike Penders - who are on loan at Strasbourg and Genk, respectively - can fill the Blues' sticks for the long-term.
When it comes to short-term and experienced solutions, few come better than Manchester United legend, David De Gea. Both Jorgensen and Sanchez have been culpable for making costly, individual errors that have been painful for the west Londoners.
De Gea will be a free agent at the end of the season and with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, an impressive campaign for the West Londoners could perhaps earn him a shock call-up to Spain's squad for the United States, Canada and Mexico tournament.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Everton's English striker #09 Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates creating their third goal, an own-goal from Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder #14 Archie Gray during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on January 19, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Everton's English striker #09 Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates creating their third goal, an own-goal from Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder #14 Archie Gray during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on January 19, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Calvert-Lewin has offered many glimpses of his undeniable quality (
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PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Nicolas Jackson has come on leaps and bounds this season, but the Senegalese ace is the only centre-forward at Stamford Bridge and is prone to the occasional loss of confidence. Chelsea want their strikers to be capable of holding the ball up, spinning in behind and linking with the likes of Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and others.
Calvert-Lewin has all the attributes they are looking for in a striker. At 27, he is in his prime, and he may relish the prospect of playing in a side which has more of the ball, thus providing better service to him. Many may have forgotten his impressive form under Carlo Ancelotti in the 2020-21 campaign, which saw him score 16 Premier League goals.
His injury record would make any club apprehensive about a possible move, but Calvert-Lewin would not be needed to play every single match, with Jackson also in the ranks.
Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich is currently set to leave Bayern Munich (
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Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images)
Chelsea are short of experience, midfield options and are often fallible at full-back - Kimmich, like a master key, would be an immediate solutions to all those issues. There are few better operators in world football than the Champions League winner and eight-time Bundesliga champion.
Kimmich has been a world-class player for many years, whether as a right-back or a central midfielder. With Maresca recently claiming that he considers captain Reece James to be a better central-midfield option, Kimmich would be the perfect, experienced head to slot in at right-back or even play alongside the Blues' academy star. He also brings the same winning mentality and leadership skills Chelsea lost when Thiago Silva left the club at the end of last season.
Tyrick Mitchell
Mitchell will have many admirers at the end of the season
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Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Don't Miss
Maresca's decision to banish Ben Chilwell has left the Blues with only Marc Cucurella available as a senior option at left-back. With Chilwell most likely moving on at the end of the season, Maresca will surely need another option on the left-hand side.
There are few better, free options than the very man keeping Chilwell out of the starting eleven at Crystal Palace. Mitchell has been a solid, reliable and consistent option at left-back for the Eagles.
He is calm on the ball, can run box-to-box for 90 minutes and is strong defensively. Chelsea can do a lot worse than the former England international, who is also only 25 years old.
Angel Gomes
Gomes has Champions League experience playing with Lille (
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Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Since Boxing Day, Chelsea have dropped 13 points from winning positions. Their major weakness this year has been their inability to control matches, particularly when the opposition has made some substitutions or tactical tweaks.
Angel Gomes brings you control, calmness, and a killer pass in the centre of midfield. Maresca has more than £250m worth of central midfielders in Fernandez, Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, but the latter is highly injury-prone, and the aforementioned duo are not known for their ability to control games from the centre of the pitch. Gomes would bring extra balance and vital depth to a Blues side which has lost the battle of midfield far too often.
At present, he looks set to leave Lille at the end of the campaign, meaning he will be one of the most sought-after free agents in the world in the summer.
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