Chelsea's last Premier League game of the season will be on May 25. They could extend the campaign to being three days longer if they get to the final of the Conference League, as Enzo Maresca expects and hopes.
Less than three months later the 2025/26 season will begin. With nine weeks still to go in 2024/25 it is a bit early to already be projecting ahead, but that is exactly what Chelsea must do.
Not only is it vital to get ahead of the game with transfers but this year more than any is extremely complicated. Two-and-a-half weeks after the potential Conference League final in Poland, Chelsea are due to be back in competitive action.
The newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup will be held in America over the summer and is no longer a two-match trip across the globe. Instead, FIFA will host a month-long tournament including a group stage and knockout phase. It lands right at the start of what is usually a players' holiday.
In effect, it takes the place of an international tournament - of which there are none this year - and puts a few clubs at the centre of an event. It will be disruptive and problematic for those involved, namely Chelsea.
Despite this being a prime opportunity for players to go away to rest and recover, FIFA are determined to have the top athletes participating, pushing for full-strength sides in order to best showcase this new competition. By the time the final is played, on July 13, there will only be four weeks until the Premier League starts again.
Chelsea are clear favourites to progress from their group with Leon, Flamengo, and ES Tunis. If they do exit at that point then it will be embarrassing but would cut the summer schedule a bit. The last group match is set for June 25.
Should they go out in the last-16 then they would be done by July 2 at the absolute latest. The quarter-finals finish on July 5, and the semis on July 9.
The flux and uncertainty around just when the post-season break will actually start is something Maresca and the club will have to manage and remain flexible on. Whereas most sides will be able to relieve their players of duty immediately after the Premier League finishes, Chelsea's season could be an extra six weeks longer. At minimum it extends to another month.
This raises problems for a pre-season tour, which doesn't appear likely. Chelsea cannot commit to dates and times for matches when they are not sure which stage of preparation or readiness they will be at. Earlier this week Manchester United were able to confirm their full set of matches, for example. Chelsea are not in that position.
The Club World Cup, therefore, becomes a pre-season before the pre-season for Chelsea. It is not clear when or what they will be able to do on the other side or how long they will have to work. Factoring in time away for the players will be paramount, as will getting them up to speed.
These logistical questions are part of the reason why Mauricio Pochettino and the club split ways nine months ago. His contract was due to be up at the end of this season, with an additional one-year option, but the club did not want to risk having to change head coaches in such a convoluted situation.
Maresca was hired with the idea of managing a 'double season.' The Club World Cup provides a bridge between 2024/25 and 2025/26 which is far from ideal for a change of coach and therefore he is due to be assessed further down the line, unlike Pochettino.
Then there is the other important matter: Transfers. Due to this being such a big part of pre-season, as a pre-pre-season, and the anticipated struggle to get ideal practice in on the other side of the Club World Cup, having players on board for the tournament is crucial.
This adds time pressure to Chelsea and also a technical one. They will not only have to be quick to get business done before the Club World Cup - something they are no doubt working towards already, especially after the January window - but FIFA has had to make amendments.
Players of Chelsea celebrate their victory after the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Final match between Chelsea and Palmeiras
Chelsea will attempt to win the FIFA Club World Cup again in its revamped format next summer (Photo by Waleed Zain/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Image: Waleed Zain/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
An 'interim window' has been agreed between June 1-10 for all clubs in leagues affected by the tournament. This will provide a chance to register new players prior to the tournament. Initially, the window was not due to open until June 12.
The Premier League are set to open this up to all 20 clubs to ensure that Chelsea and Manchester City do not gain an additional advantage. It could extend to the EFL as well.
The issue with this is that transfer windows cannot be open for more than 89 days and June 1 to August 31 (scheduled deadline day) is 91 days. Discussions remain over how this obstacle will be tackled. A 48-hour closure or an early end to the window have been proposed.
The summer window used to close prior to the start of the season to avoid drama between teams and players. That was swiftly scrapped after clubs felt they were at a disadvantage to other leagues.
FIFA have also passed a two-week contract extension for players who are in the tournament. Several deals are set to end on June 30, which falls in the middle of the Club World Cup, and therefore certain players would not be able to continue on into the knockout phase. This has since been amended.
All of this will be on Chelsea's radar, although their proactive and ambitious contract ploy means they have nothing to worry about on that front. The reality remains that no matter when the transfer window is or is not open, Chelsea will need to be extremely efficient.
This has not been a word associated with them in recent years. The summer is also set to be a vital one with a new striker, winger, and goalkeeper all on the list. Defensive changes are also possible.
The gold standard for conducting early business remains Chelsea's 2014 window when Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were both sown up in deals worth £64million prior to the Brazil World Cup. This year they have even less time to act and the impact of getting things wrong could be detrimental.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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