Chelsea made a slow start to the window due to the sanctions placed on the former owner, but the new era has begun with breaking world records.
The estimated £273.5million spent could make it the biggest outlay for a single club in a transfer window in the history of the sport. It goes to show the ambition of the Boehly-Clearlake ownership, who want to keep Chelsea at the top of English and European football.
The pattern of the transfers reflects the new power given to manager Thomas Tuchel; one of his favourite former players, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, has signed. Raheem Sterling is a perfect fit for his style of play, while they’ve arguably overpaid for Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana to ensure the right players joined in the right positions.
Romelu Lukaku, who famously didn’t have a positive relationship with Tuchel, left on a cut-price loan to Inter Milan. Timo Werner also joined his former club RB Leipzig in a £25m move, complaining about Tuchel’s tactics shortly after his departure.
They’ve overpaid in some areas but the huge turnover in incomings and outgoings is hoped to cleanse a squad that, in parts, had grown stale and a little frustrated with the German coach. In total, 10 players in and a huge number out – the demands on Tuchel will remain high to try to win trophies soon and to at least finish in the top four.
Verdict: C
In
Sterling - £47.5m
Koulibaly - £34m
Slonina - £12m Chukwuemeka - £20m*
Cucurella - £62m*
Casadei - £16m*
Fofana - £70m
Aubameyang - £12m*
(*fees inclusive of add-ons but not swaps)
Out
Timo Werner - £25m*
Emerson Palmieri - £15m*
Romelu Lukaku - £7m (loan fee)
Malang Sarr - £900k (loan fee)
Billy Gilmour - £9m
