Chelsea are just a few signings away from becoming a formidable outfit on the European stage. The Blues have already made some exciting additions to Enzo Maresca’s squad – and have also shown no sign of slowing down.
Fortunately for Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea now have the most valuable bargaining chip in football. By qualifying for the Champions League, Stamford Bridge has suddenly become a much more attractive destination for the world’s best players.
Now, it’s time for the sporting directors to back the head coach and significantly upgrade the squad. So, with all that being said, football.london have looked at what business Chelsea must now do before the summer transfer window slams shut.
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Chelsea strengthen two key positions
Before Stewart and Winstanley offload any players, they need to strengthen two positions; goalkeeper and left wing. While the sporting directors do need to trim up Maresca’s squad, Chelsea are just a few tweaks away from becoming a formidable outfit – so that should be the priority.
First and foremost, the Blues need a new shot-stopper, so they should revive talks to sign Mike Maignan from AC Milan. football.london understands that Chelsea were willing to submit a £13m offer for the 29-year-old earlier this month, but the Italian giants wanted in excess of £20m.
Fortunately for the west Londoners, Maignan has recently entered the final year of his contract at the San Siro, forcing Milan to reconsider his future. If the France international doesn’t sign an extension, the Serie A giants will be have to make a difficult decision.
Milan must consider whether they’d rather risk losing Maignan for free next year – or cut their losses and cash in this summer. While Chelsea chip away at a deal with Rossoneri, they must secure the signature of Jamie Gittens.
With Jadon Sancho back at Manchester United and Mykhailo Mudryk suspended, the Borussia Dortmund winger can be the young, exciting and direct touchline winger that Maresca has been looking for on the left.
football.london understands that Chelsea are currently preparing a fresh offer for Gittens. Despite having had a £42m bid rejected by the Bundesliga outfit ahead of the club world, he remains the Blues’ primary target.
It’s thought that the west Londoners have already verbally agreed personal terms with the England Under-21 international, who’s understood to be very keen on a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Unless an undisputedly world-class player suddenly becomes available, Chelsea only need to make two signings this summer. The Blues could do with a left-back to deputise Marc Cucurella, like Jorrel Hato or – ironically – Lewis Hall, but Ishe Samuels-Smith should be given an opportunity to impress in pre-season.
A new home-grown goalkeeper, who’s prepared to be third-choice, wouldn’t go amiss either. Jason Steele from Brighton could be a nice option, but this shouldn’t be the Blues’ priority at the moment.
Maresca adds two top young players to his squad
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the west London club in May 2022, Chelsea splashed the cash on some of the most coveted youngsters in the world. The Blues have been heavily scrutinised for their approach, but it’s beginning to finally pay off.
Andrey Santos, who Chelsea signed from Vasco da Gama for £18m in January 2023, was superb while out on loan at Strasbourg this season. Playing a key role in Liam Rosenior’s side, the 21-year-old midfielder helped the French outfit qualify for the Conference League.
He featured 32 times in Ligue 1, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists. Santos was nominated for the young player of the year award, and he was called up to the Brazil squad for two crucial World Cup qualifiers earlier this summer.
The youngster can provide cover across the midfield, making him an attractive addition to the team. Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez may rank higher in the pecking order, at the moment, but he certainly has the potential to cement a place in the starting line-up.
The other player Chelsea are set to integrate into the squad is Estevao Willian. The Blues signed the 18-year-old winger from Palmeiras last summer, for an initial £29m; a fee which could rise to £55m with performance-based add-ons.
He’s caught the eye at the Club World Cup this summer, winning player of the match in two of his three appearances. Estevao, who can provide cover for Cole Palmer in the middle and Noni Madueke on the right, has proven that he’s more than ready to test himself in the Premier League.
Kendry Paez, who Chelsea signed from Independiente del Valle for £17.5m in June 2023, would be an exciting option for Chelsea, but he should go out on loan to Strasbourg. In preparation for his arrival, the 18-year-old midfielder trained with the French club back in April.
Chelsea sell eight and loan out three
Chelsea could make nearly £150m by selling up to eight players this summer; Robert Sanchez, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku.
Meanwhile, Marc Guiu, Aarón Anselmino and Mathis Amougou should all go out on loan, whether that’s in the Premier League – or to Strasbourg. Unless the trio can impress Maresca in pre-season, they should be given the chance to play regular first-team football.
So…
Maresca could name a very strong 25-man squad on the first day of the new Premier League season, and it could look something like this;
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (from AC Milan), Filip Jorgensen and Jason Steele (from Brighton).
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr, Malo Gusto and Reece James.
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo.
Forwards: Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens (from Borussia Dortmund) and Tyrique George.
On-call: Ishe Samuels-Smith and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
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