With a new head coach in the dugout, a plethora of players potentially coming and going and a lot of improvement needed from last season, Chelsea are in for a crucial summer. Under the management of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, The Blues limped to 12th in the Premier League and a Champions League quarter-final exit. At least that means Mauricio Pochettino, the former head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, is the only way to take control at Stamford Bridge.
This could be as turbulent a few weeks amongst the playing staff as last season for their coaching equivalents with moves as they continue to clear the roster. Let’s recap some of the biggest rumors and updates from our CBS Sports insiders and experts:
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Pulisic has to go to the medical service in Milan
July 11: Four inconsistent years after arriving in west London, US international Christian Pulisic is finalizing his departure for AC Milan and is due to undergo his medical at Milanello on Wednesday. Chelsea will ultimately be happy to have earned around £20m plus perks for a player who spent most of his time at the club in the margins of his starting eleven, while USA international Pulisic may be hoping a move to Italy will help him will yield. a chance to prove his worth over a series of games.
Where the 24-year-old fits in with Milan is perhaps the most fascinating question. It’s almost certainly not on the left wing where he’s been most often seen as an option at Chelsea, that’s from Rafael Leao. It has been suggested that the number 10 position or a role from the right could suit Pulisic, although there will still be a lot of competition in those places as well.
Fofana joins Union Berlin
July 11: David Fofana, the acclaimed young striker who joined Chelsea in January, will be loaned out next season to Union Berlin, who have no option to buy him. The 20-year-old was acquired from Molde earlier this year with the long term in mind; Such were Chelsea’s problems that he made four appearances for the Blues without scoring. Fofana joins US international Brenden Aaronson in the German capital for the chance to put himself to the test in the Champions League.
“Union has developed extremely strongly in recent years and I am very excited to be a part of this next season,” he said. “The club has tried long and hard to find me and I now want to repay that with good performances.”
A legend leaves
6th of July: In 11 years at Stamford Bridge, Cesar Azpilicueta has literally won everything. Captaining the club since 2019, he has won the Champions League, Club World Cup, Premier League, Europa League and both domestic cups in a glittering career that sees him leave a much-loved figure in West London. In a glowing tribute, his now former club described him as “a Chelsea legend forever”.
Azpilicueta will leave on a free transfer a year before his contract expires and will don an Atletico Madrid shirt next season. “Every day I got to wear the number 28 shirt on my back and it’s the honor of my life to be a part of this club’s history,” he wrote in a lengthy farewell message to Chelsea supporters. “I am forever indebted [the fans], you taught me what it means to be a blue one. From now on I will cheer you all from a distance, but my love for this club will never change.”
Azpilicueta’s departure means only three of the starting eleven from Chelsea’s Champions League triumph of just two years ago will still be with the club next season. With Christian Pulisic headed for the exit, all three substitutes will also be gone, along with former head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Monte continues
July 5: Eighteen years after joining the club, Mount is no longer a Chelsea player. The 24-year-old has joined Manchester United in a deal that will bring his former first £55 million with a further £5 million in potential add-ons. Mount departs after 195 appearances for the Blues with 33 goals to his name, as well as a Champions League and Club World Cup crown.
“Given the speculation over the last six months, this may not come as a surprise to you,” Mount said in a farewell message published before his move to Manchester was officially announced, “but it doesn’t make it any easier to tell me I’ve made the decision to leave Chelsea I think you deserve more than just a written statement So I just wanted to tell you straight away how grateful I’ve been for all your support over the last 18 years I know some of you won’t be happy with my decision, but it’s what’s right for me at this point in my career.”
Chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owners Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano said: “Mason is a consummate professional and a popular figure at the club. We would like to thank him for all his efforts on and off the field during his time at Chelsea. .”
Hakim Ziyech Al Nassr is about to collapse
June 30th: Hakim Ziyech will undergo further medical tests in Madrid on Friday to revive his tentative move to Al Nassr. Initial tests on the playmaker, who was set to leave Chelsea on an €8 million deal, yielded worrying results on the status of his hip and knee and sources have told CBS Sports the deal is likely to collapse.
However, further investigations offer some hope for Ziyech. Even if they painted a more optimistic picture, Al Nassr would try to renegotiate terms for the 30-year-old, cut his base salary and include fitness-related clauses.
Should Al Nassr pull out of the Ziyech deal, their focus would shift to Bernardo Silva, according to CBS Sports sources. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is working to secure the Manchester City star, which was destined for Al Nassr’s rivals Al Hilal. If PIF secured his services, it would be up to Bernardo which of the rivals in Riyadh he would like to face. However, Al Nassr thinks they have a potential trump card in the presence of Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo on their roster.
Kovacic leaves
June 27: Chelsea’s first major window sale has been completed with Mateo Kovacic signing a four-year contract with Manchester City, for a fee of £25 million with a potential £5 million in further add-ons. For Chelsea, that’s a reasonable return for a 29-year-old heading into the final year of his contract, as there is little indication he would be willing to extend, possibly for less money, under the new regime at Stamford Bridge .
Saudi Arabian exodus
21st of June: Perhaps even more important than adding to the squad this summer is pushing back a group that was so swollen last season that the Cobham training ground changing rooms were not big enough to accommodate every first-team player. In trying to do this, Chelsea faced the same challenge as all of the Premier League’s richest sides: the massive lack of clubs that can match the wages they pay their fringe players.
That was until help arrived from Saudi Arabia, with at least four top earners expected to leave for the Pro League this summer. Chelsea might have liked to keep N’Golo Kante, but they couldn’t match the €50 million a year offered by Al Ittihad. The move was made official on Tuesday by both clubs. Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy are also all moving to Saudi Arabia. The players move to Al Hilal and Al Ahli respectively. Koulibaly will join Al-Hilal for around €20 million.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could also make the move to Saudi Arabia, while Romelu Lukaku has reportedly declined the option of moving to Saudi Arabia as of now. In all, that could cut almost £1million a week off Chelsea’s wage bill, giving breathing room and more money to invest in new signings. — Franceso Porzio and James Benge
Nkunku arrives
June 20: The first new signing of the Pochettino era has been made… and it’s one Chelsea had lined up all along when Tuchel was in charge. The arrival of Christopher Nkunku was a formality shortly after the summer transfer window closed in 2022, with the club hierarchy committing to pay a fee in excess of his £60 million release clause to get their man out of RB Leipzig before his many others suitors could make a deal together. .
“I’m incredibly happy to join Chelsea,” said Nkunku, who worked at PSG before joining RB Leipzig. “A lot of effort has gone into bringing me to the club and I look forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch. After playing in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world. I am very much looking forward to this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.”
Nkunku should help with the main problem of a Chelsea side who scored 38 goals in 38 Premier League appearances last season, in his last two Bundesliga campaigns scoring 36 while adding a further 21 assists. However, he is not the centre-forward The Blues need – Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson could be – but the sort of left winger who plays best with someone else in the lead who already has Pochettino. a lot of by. How he can be fit alongside Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk (assuming Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave) will be an early challenge for the Argentine to puzzle out.
Needs reinforcement in midfield
June 20: It’s not just about selling. The possible departures of Kante, Kovacic and Mount six months after Jorginho left means Pochettino will need new bodies in midfield. Chelsea had wanted Manuel Ugarte but were beaten into his services by PSG and are now targeting Caicedo. The London Evening Standard reports that the Blues have turned down a £60 million offer with Brighton holding out for £100m. In addition, Chelsea are one of the many clubs that love Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, also wanted by Arsenal.