The summer transfer window is five days old and Chelsea have a rebuild to complete. The departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen ensure that the Blues' backline requires new faces, while the likes of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho coming to the final 12 months of deals of their own and a number of returning stars like Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour guarantees some difficult decisions in the middle of the park.
Chelsea appeared set to add Jules Kounde to Thomas Tuchel's ranks before news of an operation on a longstanding injury, and while it should not impact the deal, it will be difficult for supporters not to harbor an element of doubt. Nevertheless, the Blues have been on the Frenchman's trail for a year and he is expected to be fit in time for the start of the season.
Despite those key areas where Chelsea need to strengthen, the club remain relentlessly linked to swathes of attacking players. Ousmane Dembele, Christopher Nkunku, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Raphina, Richarlison, Darwin Nunez, Lautaro Martinez, Serge Gnabry, Neymar - the list goes on.
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It is a position where the Blues are comparitively bloated but have shown little proof they are the finished product. So while any forward signing could be problematic in squad building it is little wonder that Chelsea are perhaps making some progress in the department.
football.london understands talks have been held for Dembele while moves for Sterling and Jesus are being considered, and Nkunku was on Chelsea's shortlist of attacking options. The prospect of a new forward in the dressing room is certainly not farfetched.
The ability to land Dembele on a free transfer appears to make the former Borussia Dortmund star the favourite to be on the training fields of Cobham this summer, but that does not come without other transfer issues. It would leave with another body to add to Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz in the forward positions.
With two Chelsea player of the season awards, Mount's place in the team seems pretty secure, while Havertz's position leading the line means he could enter the season as starting striker. Romelu Lukaku's desire to leave the club has been well documented, while the remaining players have shown the ability to impress, but none have come close to locking down a place in the starting XI.
The arrival of Dembele would seem to leave Pulisic, Ziyech and Werner vulnerable to departing and a decision will be required on each. Ziyech has shown the ability to impress Tuchel in pre-season before and would provide some certainty in a difficult season that will be disrupted by a World Cup. There are no guarantees in football, but having a high class winger not making the trip to Qatar could be reassuring for Chelsea' first game back on boxing day when others have been on international duty.
Pulisic has already been asked about his future and admitted he would hope for more playing time but the US international usually starts in Chelsea's most important matches. Perhaps an indication of where he lies in Tuchel's thinking.
Werner lies in a difficult position after failing to set Stamford Bridge alight over the past two seasons. The German forward has three years remaining on his contract and will hope to maintain his place in Germany's squad ahead of the World Cup. A further difficult season may leave Chelsea really struggling to find a suitor, particularly if he moves another rung down the rankings.
Hudson-Odoi's future at Chelsea seemed very uncertain 12 months ago and both permanent and loan deals appeared on the cards. Tuchel was unwilling at that time to allow the versatile winger to depart. The 20-year-old's injury issues make the prospect of a transfer unlikely but the Blues will need to decide where a loan option is worthwhile to ensure playing time if there is another body in the squad. However, the Cobham product does provide the added advantage that he can be counted as part of Chelsea's squad without taking up an addition spot due to his age - that could be crucial for the coming season.
The task to offload Lukaku already seems to be underway, and while it may not be impacted by a move for Dembele directly, the kind of player Chelsea may next look to will be impacted. Whether Dembele's attacking talents are enough to change any stance the Blues may have on what they demand from Inter for the striker remains to be seen, but seems unlikely. The club appear willing to allow the Belgian to leave but their demands will be significant given the £97.5 million outlay, and the payments that would need to be covered.
Supporters may be waiting for the Blues to land their first transfer, but the work to be done in the opposite direction should not be underestimated.
