The Summer 2023 transfer window has certainly not been quiet for Chelsea, but then again, it’s the sort of window we have come to expect from Todd Boehly and his Clearlake Capital Consortium.
What is different about this window is the number of outgoings we have seen, as Mauricio Pochettino has looked to clear out the deadwood in what was an extremely bloated squad.
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Key Departures
Mason Mount
Despite not being the most expensive player Chelsea have sold this summer, the academy product must come first on this list after he made a shocking move to Manchester United, a transfer which would have been unthinkable a year ago.
At that time, Mount had come off the back of an impressive 2021/22 season, with 21 Premier League goal contributions, and looked to be the centrepiece around which the new regime would build their side.
Instead, contract negotiations came to a halt and Chelsea have cashed in on the midfielder whose deal was set to expire in June 2024.
Not many Chelsea fans would agree that this deal was a great piece of business - the 24-year-old's deal was running out, so Man United have definitely got him on the cheap.
Not to mention that he was also a homegrown talent who was integral to the side for three straight seasons since his debut in 2019.
However, £60million is a remarkable fee for a player that only registered three goals and two assists in the Premier League last season.
It might not be a fee close to the hundreds of millions that Mount was once was valued at, but it will have had a big impact on balancing Chelsea’s books, especially with the number of high-profile incomings.
His performances for United will need to improve if he is to make his boyhood club regret letting him go.
Kai Havertz
It looked like Kai Havertz had carved his name in the Chelsea 'Hall of Fame' when he slotted a shot past Ederson to win the Champions League final in May 2021.
He was primed to become a Chelsea legend, but two-years later his reputation amongst Chelsea fans is marred after moving to London rivals Arsenal.
In his time at Chelsea Havertz divided opinion. The enormous price tag accompanying his transfer from Bayern Leverkusen is perhaps only justified by his Champions League winning goal in Porto.
His three year spell can otherwise only be described as disappointing, with occasional flurries of class and potential. Those occasions are why Arsenal have forked out £65 million for the German forward.
In general Havertz never really kicked on. It could be argued he was never played in the correct position, often filling in as a striker whilst Chelsea’s no.9 woes continued.
Regardless, 19 goals in 91 games is not a good enough return for the Blues to turn down a big offer from Arsenal.
Another surprise sale from Chelsea, but many fans will be happy to see the back of Havertz for a fee close to what they paid in 2020.
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Other Departures
Amongst the numerous outgoings there are four more players who have garnered a large amount of cash to put back in the transfer budget.
Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy represent a departure of the old guard - the 'Abramovich era' - whilst Kalidou Koulibaly can only be seen as a failed investment.
Nonetheless, the Saudi League have bailed the Blues out by being the only league to have teams willing and able to match Koulibaly and Mendy’s enormous wage demands, as well as offer a fee to recoup some of Chelsea's losses.
Given the economics and both players' form last season, it seems like a no-brainer to let them go.
Pulisic and Kovacic perhaps had more to offer. Pulisic made way for signings of the new regime on the wing, and has joined AC Milan in search of more game time.
On the other hand, Kovacic signed for Manchester City for a fee of just £25million, at a point in the transfer window when Chelsea were desperately low on midfielders.
At 29-years-old some Chelsea fans will question why one of their more encouraging players from their torrid campaign last season, who still has some of his best years ahead of him, has been gifted to the treble winners.
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Key Signings
Moises Caicedo
The transfer fiasco of the summer - the tough-tackling Ecuadorian midfielder has long been a target for Chelsea, and fans will be delighted with his has arrival.
However, the fee is astronomical and was bumped up at the last minute to fend off interest from Liverpool.
In the long term it is likely to be a worthwhile signing. Caicedo is one of the most promising players in the Premier League, and he is now sitting on an eight-year contract at the start of Chelsea’s rebuild.
The-21-year-old will bring tenacity and defensive capabilities to the Blues’ midfield, allowing Enzo Fernandez to have more freedom to get forward, a dynamic we can already see when the two play together.
That’s not to say Brighton & Hove Albion are not licking their lips as £115million more is sent down from London.
The player is undoubtedly a class edition to Pochettino’s side, but the transfer saga was less than ideal.
Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku officially became Chelsea’s first signing in July 2022 on a 6-year deal, but there were reports of a pre-contract agreement having been signed for more or less the whole 2022/23 season.
This transfer was never in doubt and looks to be a shrewd signing for Chelsea.
At only 25-years-old, Nkunku is one of the more experienced Chelsea signings and is certainly a proven goal scorer.
He finished last season as the Bundesliga joint top scorer with 16 goals, despite being out injured from November to February. This injury took him out of contention for the World Cup, but there’s no doubt he would have played a role for France had he been available.
The French forward looked lively in pre-season, and it is unfortunate that he will miss the first few months of this Premier League season.
When fit he will walk into this Chelsea team, and most likely be their main threat going forward. A great signing for an un-Chelsea-like reasonable price.
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Other Signings
Romeo Lavia & Cole Palmer
At just 19-and-21-years-old respectively, Boehly and Co will hope these talents make up the core of the Chelsea team for years to come.
Although both have shown significant amounts of promise, Lavia only has one full Premier League season under his belt, in which Southampton finished bottom of the table.
Whereas Palmer has played sporadically under Pep Guardiola at Man City, making only 14 appearances in the league last season.
For a combined total of almost £100million, this is not a low-risk chance taken on young players. Chelsea will need these players to perform.
Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi, & Nicholas Jackson
These three signings have been thrown straight into the fold, and have looked like they will be key players for Chelsea this season.
Robert Sanchez has replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has headed out on loan to Real Madrid.
It looks like a steal for Chelsea at £25million, especially when Brighton have in the past quoted a price tag of £70million for the Spaniard.
However, Sanchez lost his place at Brighton to Jason Steele last season due to a strained relationship with Roberto De Zerbi, who won’t be frustrated to see him go. Sanchez follows former Brighton goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts to Chelsea.
Axel Disasi signed in reaction to Wesley Fofana’s long term injury and is a solid replacement.
He will provide aerial presence and athleticism next to the composure of Thiago Silva, and he also reunites with Benoit Badiashile, who he partnered with at AS Monaco. Chelsea fans will hope his introduction to Stamford Bridge, where he scored against Liverpool, is a sign if things to come.
Despite rumours of a big-name signings like Dusan Vlahovic or Victor Osihmen to take the no.9 shirt, Chelsea fans will have to settle for Nicholas Jackson from Villarreal.
A late burst of goals at the end of the 2022/23 La Liga season saw Jackson win the 'Player of the Month' award for May, and it looks to be a decent signing for the Blues.
In his first few games he has looked to be a handful for defenders, but might lack a bit of polish at this early stage in his career.
Chelsea Look to Build for the Future
It is also important to note the number of other top young talents Chelsea have acquired this window.
Angelo, Deivid Washington, Diego Moreira, and Lesley Ugochukwu have been added a plethora of teenage talent amongst the Chelsea ranks.
It remains to be seen whether these players will form a part of the Chelsea project in the years to come, or if they will be consistently loaned out and sold for profit.
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Summary
There's been another huge personnel overhaul for Chelsea this window as they have looked to rebuild after their disastrous 2022/23 campaign.
They have opted to sign younger talent over experienced winners, which might prove to be a mistake in the short-term.
However, provided the values of these players does not diminish enormously, Chelsea will have done themselves a favour in the long run.
Many of their teenage signings will have to face the possibility of years in the infamous Chelsea loan system, but will hopefully prove fruitful eventually, whether that is as a first team player, or being sold on for profit.
