Enzo Maresca’s strongest 25-man Chelsea squad after £285m transfer spree and deadline day blitz

Now that the summer transfer window has shut, Enzo Maresca finally has the chance to rally his troops. While Chelsea couldn’t find cover for Levi Colwill, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury shortly after reporting for pre-season, they still managed to bolster the squad.

The Blues forked out £285 million on new players, bringing in a healthy balance of first-team upgrades and exciting prospects. Chelsea also managed to raise £288m in sales, capitalising on market opportunities and cashing in on trending profiles.

Fortunately for Maresca, the Club World Cup champions wrapped up the bulk of their business well in advance of the new Premier League season. But, there was still a lot to be done in the final hours.

On deadline day, Chelsea signed Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton and recalled Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland. The west Londoners also sent Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich on loan, which includes an obligation to buy and offloaded Ben Chilwell to Strasbourg.

It wasn’t plain sailing, though, with a few deals – like Tyrique George’s switch to Fulham – falling through. So, with that being said, football.london has reviewed Maresca’s squad now that the transfer window has shut.

Goalkeepers

Between the sticks, Maresca will choose from Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen. Gabriel Slonina, who spent last season on loan at Barnsley, regularly featured on the bench for Chelsea at the Club World Cup; he was also in the matchday squad for the Blues’ 5-1 win over West Ham last month.

Due to UEFA’s registration rules, it’s unlikely he’ll be registered to play in the Champions League this term. Instead, a ‘club-trained’ goalkeeper from the Development Squad will probably be called up, which isn’t unheard of by any means.

Defenders

Maresca certainly has a lot of centre-backs to choose from this season. With Colwill expected to be out for a while, Tosin Adarabioyo will play a crucial role for Chelsea as the ball-playing central centre-half.

Jorrel Hato will also be regularly called upon as the campaign progresses. Last term, Marc Cucurella played 5,000 minutes for club and country, so the former Ajax captain will be asked to shoulder some of his workload.

Midfielders

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo remain integral to Chelsea. Particularly in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, Andrey Santos will cover for the former while Dario Essugo steps in for the latter.

If and when Romeo Lavia returns from injury, Maresca could slot him between Fernandez and Caicedo, who would be pushed marginally further up as an eight. In close contests and big games, the former Southampton star will be battling Santos for a place in the Blues’ three-man midfield.

Forwards

Chelsea are spoiled for choice up top, with at least two or three options in each position: attacking midfield, left wing, right wing and striker. If Estevao Willian continues to impress, Pedro Neto will likely be shifted back out to the left – so Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte will need to up their game.

Maresca’s strongest Chelsea squad in full

Maresca will have a wealth of options at his disposal this season, but certain registration rules could impact a couple of small decisions along the way. So, Chelsea’s strongest 25-man squad could look something like this;

Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.

Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Jorrel Hato, Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashille, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Malo Gusto and Reece James.

Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo.

Forwards: Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte.

On call: Shim Mheuka, Tyrique George, Sam Rak Sakyi, Kiano Dyer, Reggie Walsh, Benoit Badiashille, Max Merrick, Gabriel Slonina.

Injured: Levi Colwill.