Chelsea have entered a crucial summer where Thomas Tuchel is looking to rebuild his squad. Not only does that mean signing new players to improve the team, particularly in the wake of Antonio Rudiger leaving, but it also means the squad may be refreshed by those who leave too.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took ownership of the Blues almost four weeks ago. They will be keen to put in a good first impression, having already landed the likes of Kadeisha Buchanan for Emma Hayes' side. The new owners are said to have a £200 million war chest in mind to help transform Tuchel's squad this summer.
football.london understands that figure may take into account some money from player sales, but with a degree of manoeuvrability in the budget. However, given the names, Chelsea are chasing, boosting the Blues transfer pot will be helpful.
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Six signings have been touted this summer, and with the chase well underway for Raheem Sterling and Matthijs de Ligt, it's easy to see half of that £200 million figure disappearing very quickly. If the Blues decide to return to land Jules Kounde from Sevilla, there will be little room left, and three signings are potentially still to be made.
Timo Werner has been highlighted as a potential makeweight in a deal to land De Ligt from Juventus. He is valued between £43 million and £60 million by CIES, with three years remaining on his deal at Stamford Bridge. This summer may be the Blues only opportunity to command anywhere close to that fee. The possible additions of Sterling, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, Richarlison or a combination of the group would see the German forward slip down the pecking order. In a World Cup year, that could see 26-year-old comfortable with a transfer.
Likewise, Hakim Ziyech may similarly suffer from the additional competition. The Moroccan showed he could make an impact when relied upon for Tuchel last term but is perhaps the least obvious fit in Chelsea's 343. With Romelu Lukaku's expected departure to Inter Milan, Ziyech could join him in Serie A with a transfer to cross-city rivals AC Milan thought to be of interest. Reports suggest that talks between the Italian side and Ziyech's representatives are already underway. A bid of £26 million could prove tempting if Milan chooses to match the 29-year-old's CIES valuation.
Billy Gilmour's future is another who appears to be up in the air. It was a curious decision from Chelsea to extend the Scotland internationals contract via a clause rather than by agreeing a new deal with the midfielder. It has been suggested the youngster could link up once again with Frank Lampard, with both a loan and permanent deal touted. CIES believe Gilmour is worth up to £10.5 million.
If Barcelona resolves their financial issues, Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta could be on their way to Camp Nou this summer. Both have a year remaining on their deals, and while Chelsea will hope to have a replacement through the doors before considering allowing Azpilicueta to leave, the duo could provide a source of income for the club. According to Sport, the Catalan side could be willing to pay as much as £11 million for each player.
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