Amidst the backdrop of operating under a special licence and club takeover, Chelsea's future appears pretty uncertain. New owners could be in place as soon as the beginning of May but their intentions in terms of spending, the academy and much more remain to be seen.
As things stand the Blues cannot offer new contracts and as such cannot complete transfers but they could still replenish Thomas Tuchel's squad with some new faces come the summer. Chelsea have 24 players out on loan this season at various stages of their career. Some have already played for the first team, others are hoping they've found the bridge they require to compete at Cobham and others will be accepting the reality of having to develop elsewhere for the first time.
How many could impact this summer's transfer turnaround? It will depend on a number of factors; here we take a look at just some of the main contenders.
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Conor Gallagher: The Crystal Palace loanee has grown from strength to strength and will be hoping he can force his way into Tuchel's midfield. The 22-year-old has tallied eight goals and three assists in the Premier League this season to give the Chelsea boss something to ponder. The German coach has dabbled with formations with four defenders in recent weeks opening up a more obvious way of navigating Gallagher into the team. If it's something the Blues boss hopes to opt for more often going forward, the academy product would be ideal to come in and add new depth over another transfer.
Billy Gilmour: It's been a frustrating season for the young Scot at Norwich, but he has remained very impressive for his national side. Jorginho is set to enter the final 12 months of his deal, and with the midfielder already turned 30, Gilmour could be seen as a natural heir.
The Blues have of course also been linked to Declan Rice and Aurelian Tchouameni, who are more advanced in their careers. The former Rangers product will have his work cut out but the relevance he has in the Chelsea team may have a direct impact on big money moves such as those., as well as the futures of Saul Niguez and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Ethan Ampadu: Often slightly forgotten due to his loan in Serie A with Veneze, Ampadu has enjoyed a solid season in Italy and with a long-term Chelsea contract, will likely be given another opportunity to impress Tuchel. The Welshman, in some respects, has followed an uncannily similar path to Trevoh Chalobah who took his chance this term. His impact on Chelsea's squad will be similar to Gilmour's but with the likes of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger out of contract, could see himself as an option among the Blues' back three.
Levi Colwill: One of the younger prospects spending time on loan in the Championship this season, Colwill has already shown his class. The youngster dons John Terry's number 26 and plays with confidence beyond his years.
The Huddersfield Town loan star had already spent time with Chelsea's first team squad before making the move to Yorkshire. The England under-21 international has made 22 Championship starts this term but has seen 2022 disrupted through injury. Nevertheless, his quality has seen a clamour for him to have a part to play at Stamford Bridge next season, to either provide backup to Rudiger, or to help mitigate his loss. Has a great deal of talent to call upon, and if he's deemed beyond another loan, it could impact the future of most of Chelsea's defenders.
Emerson Palmieri: Lyon still have an option to buy the Italian but reports have suggested that may not be taken up, due to the practicalities of his salary. That could leave Marcos Alonso's place in the team and status at Chelsea up in the air. Of course, the former Bolton star retained his place in the squad, while Emerson headed out on loan at the start of the season, but the Spaniard's Blues deal runs out a year sooner than his teammate's. Providing new owners are in place and sanctions are lifted, this may mean the summer is seen as an opportunity to offload Alonso for a fee, where Emerson could provide depth once Ben Chilwell returns from injury.
Armando Broja: One of Chelsea's young prospects to have made waves in the Premier League and on the international scene, Broja's reputation may have reached the level where the Blues have a big decision to make in the summer. His performances have impressed at Southampton, and the next level of loan might not be far away from the Blues' rivals.
Broja would likely add depth to the Blues squad if introduced but could free up space for Timo Werner to be moved on, and would provide even more competition to Romelu Lukaku's status at Stamford Bridge. If not, Tuchel may be left in a position where he cannot offer the Albania striker what he requires, and with Arsenal and the Saints already linked with moves, he may not be short of options.
