The transfer window is well underway and Chelsea have been busy. The Blues have seen a plethora of players depart west London already, and still intend saying farewell to figures such as Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have new bodies training with the squad for the first time in Andrey Santos and Malo Gusto, and will soon see the arrival of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson into his plans. Others are still expected to follow.
While it's difficult to escape a long list of players Chelsea have been linked to in Moises Caicedo, Gabri Veiga, Angelo Gabriel and Matheus Franca, to name just a few, the Blues have shown the ability to get a deal done on the quiet in the past too. Carney Chukwuemeka arrived last summer out of nowhere from Aston Villa, in what was a significant deal in the Premier League.
Can they pull off another this summer? football.london's Chelsea writers imagine some shock transfers that could land at the Blues doorstep as a nice surprise for Pochettino.
Scott Trotter
It's time to restart the Aurelien Tchouameni transfer train. It was a saga that never quite got into the station for the Blues and Real Madrid ensured they were the destination in which the Frenchman arrived back in the summer of 2022.
So when Chelsea need a midfielder and there is speculation that the 23-year-old could leave the Bernabeu this summer, with the likes of Arsenal interested, ears have to prick. The Blues have already shown in the last 12 months they're willing to fashion a deal that can out compete their London rivals.
However, with Tchouameni, the investment was deep. The club had monitored the star before he even arrived at Monaco and while Tchouameni would offer the same flexibility as Enzo Fernandez in many ways, with the ability to reclaim the ball in deep positions or show more attacking tendencies as a box-to-box eight, it feels he could have the quality to help form an exciting partnership.
Chelsea are already set to spend big on Moises Caicedo, admittedly a talent who has shown his ability to mesh in the Premier League, but this would be another deal that could drive excitement in the fanbase.
Tom Coley
Taking true inspiration from Mauricio Pochettino's previous tactical work, Chelsea could do with a right winger that likes to play inside and is extremely careful with possession but offers enough flashy risk and ball skill to unlock the tightest of defences.
For reference, see Christian Eriksen and his position off the right side for Tottenham in a 4-2-3-1 or even Dele Alli at stages as a wide midfielder. Both players are right footed but with overlapping and bombing on full-backs, a player that can come inside comfortably would be a massive boost.
The current Chelsea option is Hakim Ziyech but he's 30 and by his own admission is struggling with a knee injury. The 30-year-old will not be at Chelsea next year one way or another and is the only other naturally right-sided player in the squad. Noni Madueke is the first choice - Raheem Sterling can play there - but is not an archetypal Pochettino player.
It's not to say that Madueke cannot and will not be important and admired by Pochettino, but when it comes to silk London-based widemen, Michael Olise is hard to look past.
He's the modern Ziyech. With speed, eye for a pass, jinxing ball control and unnerving amounts of confidence, he is a young option that wouldn't cost the world and frankly, football.london thinks he's just great.
Chelsea's best purchases of recent times haven't been the record breaking, bank shattering, mortgage needing attackers, they've either been home grown or surprisingly cheap. Olise would fit the age bracket for Pochettino and his squad as well as London connection and dazzling uncertainty.
Bobby Vincent
Wilfried Zaha is looking for a new club after his contract at Crystal Palace expired at the end of the month. Zaha has long been looked at by Chelsea but interest has gone relatively quiet in recent times.
At 30, he still has a lot to give with his immense dribbling skills – it makes him such an exciting footballer to watch. With Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech both set to leave – why not take a punt on the Ivorian?
