Chelsea’s rivals may have perhaps expected them to pull out of pursuits for the remaining marquee strikers on the market. Jackson is said to still be a big part of Enzo Maresca’s plans and with Delap joining, many would assume that spending in that area of the pitch would come to a halt.
If Chelsea were not part of the conversation, it would certainly leave Arsenal with a clearer run at Sesko or Gyokeres, their two targets up front.
One version of events could see Chelsea sign RB Leipzig wonderkid Sesko, in line with their transfer ethos of signing the best young talent from across the globe, while Manchester United pounce for Gyokeres and reunite him with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim.
That would leave Arsenal scrambling for a striker and perhaps force them into signing a second-tier target.
Much has been made of the Gunners’ struggles in front of goal and how a recognised striker could help them bridge the gap between themselves and Premier League champions Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta himself stressed the need for a strong transfer window. At the end of the season, he said: "If you want to win major trophies, you have to be the best in the market. The teams that win have the best players, always, at this level.
“But I think we have to feel our gut and we have to be very analytical of what we think is necessary to improve the team, to take the team to a different level.”
But Chelsea could deliver a hammer blow to Arsenal’s prospects shortly after the window opens, should they decide to snatch one of their rivals’ transfer targets from under them.
Arsenal’s rumoured primary target, Alexander Isak, is already unlikely to leave Newcastle after the club secured Champions League football.
Sesko and Gyokeres are the two players most closely linked with moves to the Emirates, but deals may not come as easily as Arsenal will hope, with Chelsea still sniffing around the striker market.