Chelsea only need to welcome three new faces to Stamford Bridge before the summer transfer window closes on September 1. The Blues have already wrapped up some exciting deals, showing no sign of slowing down.
Chelsea began by confirming the arrivals of Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo, who both signed long-term contracts earlier this year. Then, the west Londoners wrapped up a shrewd deal for Liam Delap, signing the 22-year-old striker from Ipswich Town for just £30m, owing to his release clause.
Enzo Maresca has also added Andrey Santos and Kendry Paez to his squad ahead of the Club World Cup, with the latter just taking part in training for the time being. Chelsea are also expected to integrate Estevao Willian into the first-team after the tournament.
The Blues have lots of exciting players on the books, but there’s still room for improvement. So, with all that being said, football.london has looked at what players Chelsea must sign before the new season gets underway.
Chelsea sign Maignan and offload Sanchez
Before the summer transfer window shuts, Chelsea should snap-up Mike Maignan from AC Milan. football.london understands that the Blues were willing to submit a £13m bid for the 29-year-old goalkeeper earlier this month, but the Italian giants wanted in excess of £20m.
Maignan, whose contract at the San Siro expires next year, would significantly bolster Maresca’s backline. That said, his arrival would spell the end for Robert Sanchez at Stamford Bridge, with Filip Jorgensen remaining as the number two while Mike Penders goes out on loan – unless he catches the eye at the Club World Cup.
Maresca knows Chelsea need a new winger
Chelsea also need to sign a new left winger before the summer transfer window slams shut – and Maresca knows it. Speaking with reporters ahead of the Blues’ clash against Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup, he claimed that Jadon Sancho’s return to Manchester United has left a gap in his squad.
As quoted by the BBC, Maresca said: “Jadon is not with us. So, for sure, that is a position that probably we need to do something. Also because, Misha [Mudryk] is not with us. At this moment we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] and Ty [George] as proper wingers. So for sure something is going to happen.”
So, with Maresca eager to sign a new winger, Chelsea should test the waters with Rafael Leao. AC Milan won’t let the 26-year-old forward go without a fight – especially if the Blues manage to lure Maignan from the San Siro, too.
But, the Italian giants failed to qualify for each of UEFA’s three club competitions this season, ending the Serie A in eighth place. So, they could well be forced to offload some prized assets…
Chelsea beat Liverpool to marquee signing
To wrap up the perfect summer transfer window at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea should try to beat Liverpool to Hugo Ekitike. football.london understands that the Eintracht Frankfurt star was one of four strikers on the Blues’ shortlist before signing Delap.
Despite having already welcomed the England U21 international to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea remain interested in signing Ekitike this summer. It’s said that the west Londoners have been locked in negotiations over his deal – with the Bundesliga outfit demanding £85m.
football.london understands that if Eintracht Frankfurt don’t budge then it’s ‘very unlikely’ that Chelsea will push on to sign the 22-year-old. Maresca already has two good frontmen at his disposal – but Ekitike could add another dimension to the Blues’ attack.
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