Barcelona have finally struck a deal to sign Raphinha from Leeds for £65million - leaving Chelsea 's chances in the gutter.
The Blues were keen on signing the 25-year-old Brazilian during the summer transfer window, even striking a £55m agreement themselves. However, Raphinha's dream of playing at the Camp Nou is now close to becoming reality and Thomas Tuchel will be forced to move on to other options.
While new owner Todd Boehly is in the process of gifting the Chelsea manager a new signing on the left of his attack in Raheem Sterling for £45m, the Blues remain rather light on the right flank. That's undoubtedly where Tuchel will be hoping to improve in his bid to usurp Manchester City and Liverpool next season.
With that in mind, Mirror Football looks at four alternatives for Chelsea after missing out on Raphinha.
Jarrod Bowen
Arguably the best player outside of the 'Big Six' Premier League clubs last season, West Ham star Jarrod Bowen looks ready for the step up to a Champions League -level team. Shining for the Irons during their run to the Europa League final and seventh-place finish, the 25-year-old left-footer is the archetypal right-winger in the modern game.
After bagging a total of 18 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, Bowen had been tipped as a successor to Mohamed Salah at Liverpool until the ex-Blues flop penned a long-awaited new contract at Anfield. Now with what appears to be a free run at the newly-capped England international, Chelsea can purchase a readymade package - but he won't come cheap.
Serge Gnabry
Delving outside of the Premier League to a player who certainly didn't prove himself during his time in the division, Serge Gnabry has gone from West Bromwich Albion disaster to Bayern Munich dynamo. The Germany winger, who was once on Arsenal's books up until that ill-fated spell with the Baggies, resurrected his career back home with Hoffenheim and has been starring for the Bundesliga big dogs since 2018.
Despite a superb 104 direct goal contributions in 171 games for Bayern, Gnabry still hasn't agreed a new deal in Bavaria and recently entered the final 12 months of his contract. Potentially available for a cut-price fee, the Blues could make the 26-year-old the bargain signing of the summer, raiding the Bundesliga once again and partnering him with international teammates Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
Antony
A name much more prominently linked with Manchester United over the past few weeks, Ajax's temperamental talent exploded onto the European scene in 2021-22, contributing to six goals in seven Champions League appearances and lifting the Eredivisie title. Now, though, the 22-year-old looks set to leave Dutch football behind after two years in Amsterdam.
While Ajax are demanding £70m from United to take Antony off their hands, Chelsea look to have the financial prowess under Boehly to blow the Red Devils out of the water. Getting one over on your rivals and acquiring a serious talent for now and the future - no-brainer, right?
Domenico Berardi
A man who's been tipped for a move away for years, Berardi's phenomenal form for little-known Sassuolo over the past decade has well and truly put them on the Serie A map. Having signed as a 16-year-old, not even Juventus buying him in 2014 deterred his love story with the Neroverdi, having spent the only season which he was owned by the Bianconeri back on loan with Sassuolo.
Considering he's now 27 and has rejected countless offers in the past, the Blues could use the help of Italy internationals Jorginho and Emerson Palmieri to convince Berardi that west London is the perfect place to leave his homeland for. A regular for the Azzurri and coming off the back of a season in which he averaged a goal or assist every 0.87 league games, the Italian is one of the most prolific wingers in Europe's top-five divisions of football.
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With only two years remaining on his current deal, admirers AC Milan were recently told to stump up £38.8m for his signature, less than what Boehly is forking out to sign Sterling as his first signing. Now drastically improved when it comes to his self-discipline on and off the pitch, and with a new family to support him, Berardi has already indicated that it may well be time for a fresh start.
"I like to travel, whereas Domenico has always preferred to have a focal point he can rely on. Now there are three of us, he has realised we could live anywhere in the world," partner Francesca Fantuzzi recently explained to magazine Chi, having married him in May. "I do want stability for our child, but his father's profession does mean moving is part of the package."
Will their next move be to Stamford Bridge?
