Chelsea are set for a massively busy summer as the club once again prepares for a period full of change at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca is set to be appointed as Chelsea’s new head coach in the coming days with the Italian expected to sign a five-year contract with the west London club. Maresca has been identified as the club’s first-choice target to replace Mauricio Pochettino after the 44-year-old impressed the likes of Behdad Eghbali, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart in discussions that took place recently.
Pochettino departed Chelsea last week by mutual consent after holding his end-of-season review. It is understood that the Argentine wanted more say in what happened on the transfer front but he was effectively just a voice in the room with co-sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart the go-to men when it came to incomings and outgoings.
It is part of the model Chelsea are still in the process of building. Winstanley and Stewart have been criticised heavily for what they have done thus far during their short time with the club but they have got some stuff right. See Malo Gusto and Cole Palmer, albeit the latter was plenty to do with Joe Shields’ influence, for example, who both lit up Stamford Bridge in their debut season in the English capital.
Maresca will know coming into Chelsea that he will not have the loudest or most significant voice when it comes to transfer business – and that is something he may just have to accept. In fact, the club are already planning – and have been for some time – for the upcoming summer transfer window before the appointment of Maresca has even been confirmed.
Sources have told football.london that Chelsea are looking at signing a centre-back, a midfielder, a winger and a striker this summer. There could even be two central defenders coming to the club should Trevoh Chalobah depart the Blues.
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Chalobah produced some outstanding form at the back-end of the 2023/24 season but there are still doubts over the 24-year-old’s future at Stamford Bridge. Any sale of the Cobham graduate would account for pure profit because he came through the academy system and in this day and age of the strict Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) set by the Premier League, selling one of the club’s own is more attractive for owners than ever before.
Thiago Silva has left Chelsea after four years at the club and the Blues are looking to bring in another centre-back to try and fill the void left by his departure. Marc Guehi and Ousmane Diomande remain on the club’s radar, football.london understands, although interest in Jean-Clair Todibo has cooled.
Maresca will have Wesley Fofana to return, hopefully in the pre-season. The 23-year-old missed the entirety of last season after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament just shy of 12 months ago.
As for the centre of midfield, Chelsea were left short there on occasions last season. Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo finished the season strongly together in a pair with Enzo Fernandez having surgery last month.
Gallagher, though, like Chalobah, could leave the club this summer. The England international, who has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming European Championship, has just over 12 months remaining on his contract in SW6 and has been strongly linked with a move away.
Pochettino wanted to keep both Gallagher and Chalobah at the club, football.london was told upon the Argentine’s departure, but senior officials at Chelsea were far more open to selling the homegrown duo. In that regard, it very much looks like Chelsea’s mind has already been made up.
A winger is also being looked at. Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao has been considered, although his wage demands could prove a stumbling block to Chelsea. Williams, too, is in-demand across Europe, so there would inevitably be a race for his signature.
And finally, Chelsea are looking to sign a striker in the summer transfer window. Nicolas Jackson was criticised a lot in his debut season with the club but ended his maiden campaign in England with a highly respectable 17 goals in 44 games spread across all competitions.
Chelsea’s plan for Jackson, however, was to ease him in during his debut season. But that was not the case due to injuries more than anything else. Chelsea want to bring a striker for Jackson to compete with and also to add some extra fire-power to proceedings.
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