A fourth-placed finish in the Premier League and a UEFA Conference League title – it has been a pretty good season for Chelsea under Enzo Maresca.
The Blues became the first English team to win every single European trophy by lifting the Conference League title. And they will be looking to add another trophy to their collection this summer.
Chelsea travel out to the United States of America next month to take part in the revamped Club World Cup.
Away from the pitch though, attention immediately turns to the transfer window and how Maresca can strengthen his squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The summer transfer window opens on Sunday, June 1 for ten days, to allow Chelsea and other clubs competing in the Club World Cup to add to their squads before the tournament begins.
The summer transfer window will then open fully on June 16 until September 1.
Maresca will be looking to add attacking talent to his squad, with the Blues often struggling to convert chances in front of goal this season. A huge burden was placed on Nicolas Jackson’s young shoulders, with Cole Palmer also expected to be the Blues’ saviour in times of need.
A number of players have been linked, with Chelsea reportedly making an enquiry to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP this summer. Gyokeres is a long-term Arsenal transfer target and is likely to be hot property this summer.
Another player who continues to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge is Alejandro Garnacho. The Manchester United forward was linked in the January transfer window, having fallen out of favour with new United boss Ruben Amorim, but a move did not materialise.
Garnacho, having been in and out of the team under Amorim since then, is set to leave Old Trafford this summer, having been told his future is elsewhere after being snubbed for much of the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, that saw the player very vocal in the aftermath.
Chelsea could very well make another move this summer, but should they? A report by our friends at the Manchester Evening News suggests the Red Devils could move to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo this summer for the same fee – around £60million – as they could get by selling Garnacho, making a move for Mbeumo effectively free.
However, Chelsea would be better served by moving to sign Mbeumo instead of Garnacho.
Mbeumo was the joint-fourth top scorer in the Premier League this season, with 20 goals, and also racked up seven assists for the Bees. Only Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes and Crystal Palace full-back Daniel Munoz covered more ground than Mbeumo (240.9 miles), while Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo and Brentford team-mate Mikkel Damsgaard are the only players to have won the ball back more often in the final third (32 times).
Mbeumo does not just score goals, he puts the work in and would be a perfect signing for Maresca at Stamford Bridge. The Cameroonian is sure to be a man in demand this summer, but if Chelsea can position themselves at the front of the queue for him, they would hand United a double transfer blow by taking one of their targets away and also ensuring Garnacho stays on the books, if only for a time until a new suitor makes a move for the Argentinian.
