Sport
Lack of Chelsea transfers so far this summer a surprise
While many major clubs around Europe kept their powder relatively dry with transfers last summer, Chelsea were highly active. Roman Abramovich backed Frank Lampard to the tune of £226m, as the Blues brought in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy among others.
Not even Paris Saint-Germain, a club that has splashed out more cash than almost any other over the last decade, could keep up. Thomas Tuchel, their manager at the start of last season, saw Mauro Icardi arrive for £45 million, but that was pretty much that as far as PSG’ spending went.
Tuchel, of course, is now in charge at Stamford Bridge, and he might have hoped to receive the same level of backing this summer as Lampard did in 2020. After all, Tuchel guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in May, having already impressively secured a top-four finish in the Premier League. The German only took charge in late January but did a superb job to change Chelsea’s fortunes almost immediately.
Yet despite his magnificent impact, Tuchel has yet to be bequeathed any new first-team players this summer (Marcus Bettinelli, the former Fulham goalkeeper, is the only new arrival to date). In just over a week Chelsea will take on Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game of the new season but, as things stand, Tuchel has a weaker squad to pick from than the one he ended last term with due to the lack of transfers.
It is not that Chelsea have not been linked with anyone. Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski were all targeted by the European champions, but all three look set to be staying with their current employers. The Blues failed with an early approach for Romelu Lukaku but appear to have renewed their interest in the Belgium international after failing to land another striker.
At the other end of the field, Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde is reportedly being pursued. The Frenchman was always likely to be available for transfer this summer, and was linked with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at various points last season. Chelsea are said to be long-term admirers, yet Sevilla have not yet received an official offer for the defender.
It would be interesting to know Tuchel’s take on the transfer window in private. Abramovich cannot be criticised for failing to put his hand in his pocket given the level of investment he has poured into the club in the last 18 years. The Chelsea owner spent plenty on transfers last summer when few other owners were willing or able to, but Tuchel may be concerned that the significant expenditure of 2020 has constrained the club this time round.
Chelsea have an excellent squad. Olivier Giroud has left for AC Milan but there have been no other major departures. Tuchel may well be able to mount a Premier League title tilt even if no one else follows Bettinelli through the entrance door.
However, the Chelsea boss is no doubt frustrated that progress on transfers has been rather slow in the market so far. Tuchel is desperate to add a centre-forward to the ranks, having largely opted for Havertz as a false nine in 2020/21. A centre-back would not go amiss either, while Tuchel has hinted there is room in the squad for another midfielder too.
There is still plenty of time for Chelsea to get their business done, but Tuchel would surely have preferred the club to move with the speed they did last summer.
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