There is renewed optimism around Stamford Bridge after a summer that has propelled the club back to where it will feel it belongs
What a difference a few months can make in football. In April, Chelsea's season was in serious danger of unravelling as they floundered in the gruelling pursuit of a top-five place and, consequently, the finger was being pointed in the direction of then-maligned head coach Enzo Maresca.
Fast-forward to August and the resurgent Blues have secured their return to the Champions League, they have added to their trophy cabinet and, against all odds, they are – with Maresca's stock at an all-time high.
Unsurprisingly, it's been another frenzied summer of transfer business at Stamford Bridge as the club looks to consolidate that success, but a somewhat more measured approach has seen them strengthen in problem areas, while plenty of deadwood has been cut away. On the eve of the new season, there is significant anticipation surrounding what an exciting squad is capable of…
GOALMood around Stamford Bridge
For the first time in a long time, there is an air of real positivity around Chelsea on the eve of the new season – thanks in no small part to a three-month period that has been transformative for both their short and long-term outlook.
First, a Champions League return was secured via a fourth-placed league finish – well ahead of schedule if Maresca is to be believed. Then, 'major' silverware in the form of the Conference League, as the Blues eased past Real Betis in the final in Poland. Finally, and most remarkably of all, Chelsea claimed an unlikely triumph at the Club World Cup, dismantling European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece under the blazing New Jersey sun.
The football has been excellent, too, with the Cole Palmer-inspired thumping of PSG the culmination of Maresca's work across what was a draining first campaign in the dugout. This spell has given Chelsea a tangible platform, and there is a sense among the fanbase that their club is finally back where it belongs after years in the wilderness.
That string of successes in such a short period has whipped up a buoyant mood around the club, with the excitement fuelled by another prolific transfer window both in terms of incomings and outgoings, and a brief but very positive pre-season.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTransfer business
Chelsea have often been accused of having a scattergun approach to the transfer window since the BlueCo takeover three years ago, and with good reason. But despite another flurry of business, a more targeted approach suggests lessons have been learned and plenty of money has been recouped amid some unbelievable turnover, while the youth-focused model might actually be paying dividends.
At long last, the west Londoners have moved to reinforce the striker department in a big way, spending a combined £90 million ($121m) to sign Liam Delap and Joao Pedro from Ipswich and Brighton respectively. English winger Jamie Gittens is another attacking addition, arriving from Borussia Dortmund, while we have known for some time that Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian would be joining the cause after a £56m ($71m) transfer was pre-agreed with Palmeiras last summer. It seems Chelsea are determined to continue with this spending spree on forward players, too, with both RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons and Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho widely expected to arrive before the window closes on September 1.
In midfield, Dario Essugo's arrival was also agreed ahead of time with Sporting CP, and at the back, 19-year-old Jorrel Hato is considered a key signing for the long-term. The latter could be thrown straight in at the deep end after Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury, with Chelsea supposedly reluctant to enter the market again for a replacement.
The Blues might be closing in on a £250m ($336m) spend this summer, but that has been facilitated by some impressive outgoing business. Most notably, Noni Madueke has completed a big-money transfer to Arsenal for more than £20m ($27m) in profit after a middling two-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge, while almost all of the £46m ($62m) spurned on Joao Felix last year could be recouped (if add-ons are met) after Al-Nassr came calling.
Elsewhere, bit-part midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been sold to Everton for more or less the same fee paid to Leicester last year, and Chelsea have almost doubled their money by cashing in on goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who has joined Bournemouth for £25m ($34m). Burnley have certainly helped to balance the books, signing Cobham academy graduates Bashir Humphreys and Armando Broja and unwanted midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu for around £55m ($74m) overall in what looks like incredible business on paper. Goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcus Bettinelli have also gone for small fees, joining Arsenal and Manchester City respectively.
Strasbourg, the Blues' sister club, have been leaned upon in a big way, with forgotten midfielder Mathis Amougou sold to the Ligue 1 side for a loss, where he joins loanees Kendry Paez, Mike Penders and Mamadou Sarr. Striker Marc Guiu has embarked on a Premier League loan at Sunderland.
Despite all of that, there is still plenty of work to be done, with the club determined to shift the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka AND Renato Veiga before the window is out in this latest squad refresh.
GOALPre-season performances
Chelsea made the wise decision to scale back their pre-season preparations this year following their Club World Cup exploits earlier in the summer, and they will hope to benefit from that in the long-term amid fears over injuries and fatigue affecting the squad as the campaign progresses.
Rather than jet off on a far-flung tour, the Blues hosted two friendlies at Stamford Bridge against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan over the course of one weekend a week before the start of the season proper, with the players having only returned a matter of days beforehand. Losing Colwill on the first day of training is a certainly a huge blow.
Nevertheless, the two games have only served to heighten expectations ahead of 2025-26 getting underway, with the hosts purring and their new signings shining in the 2-0 and 4-1 victories just two days apart. Against Leverkusen, fans got their first glimpse of Estevao in a Chelsea shirt and he didn't disappoint – opening the scoring with a calm finish and posing a threat with his dribbling throughout his time on the pitch.
Pedro rounded off the victory late on with his fourth goal in three games for the club, having starred at the Club World Cup after joining mid-tournament, and he made it five against Milan two days later with an early header before Delap netted a brace to wrap up a comfortable win over the 10-man Rossoneri. It's obviously a small sample size, but Chelsea look to be in a good place as the countdown to kick-off begins.
AFPTalking tactics
There has been a notable shift in tone from Maresca as the new season looms, with the Italian clearly acknowledging the progress that has been made in recent months. Indeed, he believes his side could be on the cusp of a title challenge, having repeatedly insisted they were some way off last term.
"I think one year ago, we were very far from the ones that dominated English football," he told the YouTube channel recently. "And I think that now we are quite close, and hopefully we can continue to improve, and be even closer and try to compete for the title."
So how does he intend to do that? Maresca was true to his reputation as a very tactical and analytical coach last season, deploying a fluid 4-2-3-1 shape that requires players who are capable of playing in multiple roles – with full-backs inverting or pushing high, midfielders dropping deep and wingers drifting inside. He likes to rotate, too, and that will be essential following the return to the Champions League.
Chelsea's transfer business reflects that we shouldn't expect much change in that regard, with the system already highly adaptable. Pedro and Hato can play in different attacking and defensive positions respectively, as can potential arrival Simons, while Essugo provides very able cover for Caicedo or the option for a more solid double pivot behind Palmer, with Romeo Lavia an option there, too.
It will be very interesting to see the knock-on effect of Simons' involvement on Palmer's position; having the Dutchman in the No.10 role would free up the Blues' talisman to play as a roaming half-winger off the right flank, where he is arguably at his most menacing – something PSG would attest to.
