Chelsea were the big players in last season’s transfer window. They spent over £200 million on the likes of Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, and broke their transfer record to bring in Kai Havertz. As the end of the season approaches, transfer rumours are once again flying with potential incomings at Chelsea.
Since his arrival, Thomas Tuchel has settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation, which has served him with great distinction, as the blues will compete in the FA and Champions League finals. Whilst he may be blessed with great squad depth, there are still a few positions he might look to improve on.
Chelsea Transfer Rumours: Where the Blues May Look to Improve This Summer
Attacking Reinforcements
For all their improvements since Tuchel’s arrival, goals have been hard to come by for Chelsea. Only once have they scored more than two goals in a game across 24 fixtures. Midfielder Mason Mount is their top scorer under Tuchel, finding the back of the net five times.
Werner and Havertz have both struggled to find their feet in England since their arrivals last summer. Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham have both fallen down the pecking order under the German boss. Both look set to leave Chelsea this summer, with the latter attracting plenty of interest from Premier League clubs.
Chelsea are rumoured to be in the race to sign Erling Haaland in the upcoming transfer window. They will have plenty of competition, and Borussia Dortmund are likely to ask for €150 million (£129 million) to take their prolific striker. Romelu Lukaku has also been linked with a return to Chelsea. Lukaku has been in scintillating form for Inter Milan this season. He has scored 21 goals as Inter secured their first Scudetto in ten years.
A slightly cheaper option for the Blues could be Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The 25-year-old has scored a record 31 Championship goals this season and could be available for £35 million. Considering the impact Ollie Watkins, a former Brentford striker, has had at Aston Villa this season, Chelsea might be tempted to take a gamble on Toney.
Defensive Additions
No team has kept more clean sheets than Chelsea since Tuchel took the reins. They have kept an astonishing 18 clean sheets in 24 matches; whichever three centre backs are selected to start, they seem to boss the game without much difficulty.
The arrival of Thiago Silva added much-needed experience to the Chelsea backline. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have been resurgent under Tuchel, whilst Cesar Azpilicueta has enjoyed a return to the starting line-up. Chelsea may look for an additional centre-back to maintain their solid defence.
Chelsea may eye-up a move for Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos, who could be keen to reunite with Tuchel. Marquinhos has popped up with goals in the quarter and semi-finals of the last two Champions League campaigns, proving to be a big game player. He is the sort of composed, no-nonsense centre-back that would fit in seamlessly at Chelsea.
Niklas Sule is another option the Blues may pursue, according to The Athletic. Sule has started only half of Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga matches this season but is an imposing, confident central defender.
Goalkeeper
Edouard Mendy was a very smart addition between the sticks last summer. He came in at a reasonably priced £21 million, immediately replacing the error-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga. His 16 clean sheets in the league are only bettered by Ederson.
However, there have been a few Kepi-like moments from the Senegal international. For instance, he gave away a dodgy penalty against Everton back in December. Certainly, looking at Chelsea’s squad, the goalkeeper position appears to be the one where a bigger name could be brought in.
Arguably the keeper that everyone wants to buy is Gianluigi Donnarumma. The AC Milan goalkeeper is yet to sign a new contract, which expires this summer. Although the Blues are likely to face stiff competition from the likes of Juventus to secure his signature.
Transfer rumours have linked Chelsea with Jan Oblak on several occasions in recent seasons. ESPN reported that Oblak wants a move to the Premier League, attracting interest from the ‘big six’. However, Atletico Madrid are not likely to accept anything lower than his €120 million (£103.3 million) release clause.
Sancho to Stamford Bridge? Return for Hazard or Salah?
Despite having some terrific squad depth in attack, some sensational attacking players have been linked to Chelsea in recent weeks. Jadon Sancho has again been teased with a move to the Premier League, with four clubs apparently interested in the English winger.
Club legend Eden Hazard may also be tempted by a return to Stamford Bridge. Real Madrid were not happy following Hazard’s behaviour with his former teammates after his current side were knocked out of the Champions League. Hazard has since apologised for his actions and even contributed to Madrid’s late equaliser at the weekend to keep their title hopes alive.
Christian Falk has suggested that Chelsea could be in for a sensational move for Mo Salah. The Egyptian forward is apparently on Tuchel’s shortlist. Salah of course had an unsuccessful six-month spell with Chelsea in 2014.
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