Well, here we go again. The summer transfer window is upon us. Not even four full months since the January one closed (on February 3) for Premier League sides, the game has started once more.
It promises to be a crucial one, as is said every year. How will Manchester City rebuild? Can Arsenal go a step further, finally? Do Manchester United find a way out of their mess? Where do Aston Villa go under the constraints of financial rules and no Champions League football?
Each club has their own agenda and issues to sort. For Chelsea, they need to make a young squad ready for the Champions League and more consistent in domestic competitions.
With holes still rife despite the major spending of late, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are under pressure to deliver having largely fluffed last summer's window. The same cannot happen again if Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are to kick on.
But what will the window (or, two windows, given the split due to the FIFA Club World Cup) look like? Other than the fact that it is near-impossible to predict, there are a few things that are clear.
Chelsea will sign a striker. Liam Delap's move is nearly complete with a medical set after he signalled a preference to move to Stamford Bridge over various alternatives.
They will almost certainly bring in a new centre-back, as well. Jorrel Hato and Marc Guehi are both admired whilst Jarred Branthwaite is the latest to be linked.
Ever since January there has been a search for a right-footed left-winger. Agent talk is sure to take over on this front with Alejandro Garnacho a player of certain interest but speculation around him will only grow and grow. Noise follows Garnacho wherever he goes and could leave Chelsea at the centre of plenty of transfer talk even if things aren't necessarily moving.
The other main options here (for now) are Jamie Gittens at Borussia Dortmund and Nico Williams of Athletic Club. Gittens is another from the Manchester City academy school of thought with Williams being the expensive and wage-heavy name.
Rodrygo is a right-sided attacker by trade but has been touted as a target. football.london understands that this is wide of the mark with his own financial expectations being too much.
More of this sort of thing is going to come over the summer. Chelsea are an easy club for the media to use to drum up stories and chat around their players. Agents will be working overtime to get a good deal and again, Chelsea are an ideal way to make a believable transfer rumour.
There will be smoke and mirrors until the window ends on September 1. Navigating the real from the fabricated or exaggerated is tough. Chelsea's youth recruitment drive makes it likely that teenagers from across the world - but mainly South America and Europe - will have their names mentioned in conjunction with a move.
You can expect Victor Osimhen and a saga to drag on. He has been close to Chelsea for years and is extremely Premier League coded with his match-winning ability and thunderous striking. His future will be a point of conversation right to the end with loans, big money exits, and Saudi Arabia all on the table.
Viktor Gyokeres is in the same boat. Chelsea are not done, it seems, with just Delap, so he will stay on lists of possible second striker signings. Osimhen and Gyokeres are thought to be available for £60million each. Hugo Ekitike is there for more at £80million.
Just as Chelsea went to the wire with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in 2023, it is easy to see them doing the same with one of these two here. You also cannot rule them out of making a goalkeeper change.
Djordje Petrovic
Djordje Petrovic has enjoyed a fine season on loan with Strasbourg (Image: Loic Baratoux/FEP/Icon Sport)
Robert Sanchez is backed by the club but his position will be under threat from Djordje Petrovic first and then the prospect of buying another No.1 if Petrovic isn't to Maresca's liking the second time round. Lucas Chevalier is one of the standout young stoppers around and has been linked. Mike Maignan, three years on from being the name, has also cropped up again.
That may well be about that for incomings. With Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo, and Estevao Willian all to be added to the senior squad - as well as potentially Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez (although both of those could go out on loan) - it would be a surprise if Chelsea's business went beyond two new strikers, a winger, a centre-back, and a goalkeeper. Any four of those five is probably more likely at this stage.
Something which will impact the scale of these deals is just how many players Chelsea can sell. The bulk of last summer's bomb squad remains. Most will be returning from loan without any future under Maresca.
Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, and Carney Chukwuemeka will all be free to go. Kepa Arrizabalaga has a tiny release clause in his contract so will be sold. Armando Broja failed to score in his stay at Everton with neither Joao Felix or Axel Disasi having much hope of getting back into the plans either.
Renato Veiga is more useful due to his versatility but faces a battle to have a role given the intention to buy more defensive quality ahead of him. Selling someone like Veiga is much easier than moving on from the high wages or Chilwell or Sterling. It would not be a shock if Chelsea considered offers for Trevoh Chalobah despite his impressive form after coming back from Crystal Palace.
Christopher Nkunku is also set to leave. Chelsea will need to cut their losses with him and might be open to doing the same with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. He cost £30million last summer and has not proven himself to be much help to Maresca.
Fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho has been more valuable on loan from Manchester United. A decision over his future will be made soon. Chelsea have the option to either buy him for £25million or send him back for £5million, effectively an extra loan fee.
Then, of course, there are the calls over who goes where for next season in terms of development as well. RC Strasbourg will be utilised as the side in BlueCo's multi-club model with international loan spots there to be taken advantage of as well.
In short, Chelsea's summer will be busy. It will be noisy. There will be drama, sagas, twists and turns, money spent, and plenty recouped (they hope). The squad will change in key areas but the foundation and platform has been set. Maresca will remain.
Countless claims will not come to fruition. Chelsea will be mocked and criticised for their work. They will be analysed and mulled over. Welcome to the transfer window, folks. Chelsea are going to be heavily involved and we wouldn't have it any other way.
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