Grading Chelsea’s First Transfer Window Under New Owner Todd Boehly

When the deadline for the summer transfer window passes on the evening of August 31, Chelsea will look around at a squad, and a club, that has changed a great since the window opened. £200m has been spent on new signings with new owner Todd Boehly keen to back Thomas Tuchel in his reconstruction efforts, but questions linger over some of the deals done.

Putting aside the ownership situation which saw Boehly replace Roman Abramovich as the head of the club, this summer was always likely to be a transitional one for Chelsea. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left as free agents at the end of last season and so a defensive rebuild was required.

This is why Chelsea targeted so many elite level defenders with Jules Kounde just one of the names on their radar before Barcelona beat them to the signing of the French international. Kalidou Koulibaly arrived instead with a £70m deal secured for Wesley Fofana on transfer deadline day.

Chelsea also spent £60m on the signing of Marc Cucurella from Brighton with the former Barcelona left back making an immediate impact on the first team. Between these three, the Blues have completed a substantial overhaul of their defensive ranks, although Tuchel would surely like more depth in this area.

Romelu Lukaku’s return to Inter just one year after a £98m transfer to Stamford Bridge also signified a shift in the attacking dynamic at Chelsea with £45m invested in the signing of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. Sterling, of course, is a very different sort of attacker to Lukaku. This in itself demonstrated a change in Tuchel’s management of his group.

So far this season, Tuchel has favoured a front three of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Sterling with the latter expected to contribute heavily to Chelsea’s goal tally in all competitions. Sterling had become a peripheral figure at City, but Tuchel wants to build his attack around the England international at Chelsea.

Yet Chelsea never addressed their growing list of midfield problems. Tuchel is still reliant on Jorginho and N’Golo Kante as a central pairing with the latter’s injury track record a particular concern. Both players are also over the age of 30, meaning Chelsea will need to replenish this key area of their squad at some point in the near future.

Conor Gallagher returned to Stamford Bridge after a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, but has struggled to perform in a deeper role than the one he played for the Eagles. Some of Chelsea’s new signings have also still to bed in with Koulibaly enduring a particularly challenging start to life in the PremierPINC
League.

The dust might have to settle first before any judgements can be drawn on Chelsea’s summer transfer window. Tuchel is seemingly struggling to find a system and approach for the group of players he has assembled, but the season is still in its infancy and the Blues might yet find their way again.