Some of Chelsea's best additions this summer may not end up costing them a penny. As the Blues look to spend over £100m in the next week, with plenty more action still to come after that, saving all they can will be a savvy business decision that will likely appeal to Todd Boehly.
Unlike Roman Abramovich, the American owner isn't going to plunge deeper and deeper into his money laden pockets. At times under the Russian it was spending money for money's sake. Boehly isn't going to sanction deals in the same way.
The age of moneyball is here and, without being too cliché about American owners, the strategy will be different.
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For fans of the world famous Cobham academy, they will be hoping that the new financial system put in place changes from the one that ended the oligarch's spell in charge. Instead of funding a move from Romelu Lukaku directly out of his wallet, the Blues cashed in on a host of talented graduates instead.
With the sales of Tammy Abraham, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento and Lewis Bate, alongside being unable to commit Dynel Simeu to a new deal, Chelsea could purchase Lukaku. On reflection, and at the time, it looks like a poorly judged decision.
Even if Boehly is more stringent on his money and doesn't rack up even a small percentage of the £1.5bn debt that Abramovich did with the club, to be competitive over a long period of time, making the most of young players is much more sustainable than selling them for profit.
Not everyone can make the grade of course, but the logic goes that filling preseason squads with talented prospects is probably more worth while than affording Kennedy, Ross Barkley and Matt Miazga a free holiday. The younger players provide a bedrock of talent that can develop at the club and then save money that is spent on elite targets elsewhere, rather than spending £30m on squad players with huge and unmoveable wages.
One of Chelsea's players that has a task to cement himself in Thomas Tuchel's plans is Conor Gallagher. His loan spell at Crystal Palace elevated him from a raw, energetic midfielder to a disciplined, dynamic and technical engine. The image of an inexperienced Premier League legend that used to play in midfield for a successful London club taking on a previously unproven young midfielder could be mirrored with Frank Lampard and Mason Mount, that turned out well for the club.
As it was, Gallagher earnt his first England cap as a Palace player last season. He overcame relegation with West Brom the year before to leave the Stamford Bridge faithful wondering if there should have been space for him in Thomas Tuchel's squad last season. Given that Tuchel decided against using Saul Niguez for large parts and didn't trust his rotation players to finish the season off, Gallagher's presence would have been a nice addition.
His eight league goals would have made him the club's joint-second top scorer last season, level with Lukaku, and only behind Mount. Meanwhile, he scored more goals than Mount did in his second season at Chelsea as well. The pair are just one year out from each other with Mount, 23, one year the senior, and not only has their rise to Chelsea's first team been similar, their play styles and subsequent importance at each of their former clubs has been too.
This is something that Tuchel rates highly, he likes players he can trust, and even during the season he was glowing of Gallagher, saying, "I believe Conor can be a part of our squad and can play a role with us. But I am not the only one to decide. We need to speak after the season with everybody, speak after the season about what Conor wants, we need to see what the situation is and what role we have for him that he can fight for."
This was said before Gallagher's Palace side played Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, a game that the English midfielder had to miss due to ties to Chelsea.
Tuchel is also a fan of quick learners and intelligent footballers, not just talented ones, another part of Gallagher's game that attracts him, “there needs to be something to fight, a role and perspective of where you are, where you can be, what you need to achieve," said Tuchel. "So we have to be very clear with him and he needs to be clear with us. Then we will sort it out. His development is extraordinary and outstanding.
“He is one of the key players at Crystal Palace and made a huge step in his development up front. He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season – he has so much positive energy, energy in general, and such work rate to give that he can have a big influence.”
The tour of America will be Gallagher's first overseas chance to impress his manager after last season's preparation was mainly based at Cobham. With an extra year of experience behind him and the rebuild going on at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel needs not look towards Frenkie De Jong as he already has a player that can fit the same spot in midfield.
Unless the plan for the Dutchman was to use him as a holding midfielder, which doesn't suit De Jong or Chelsea's ambitions to use a four-man defence, then the need for another box-to-box style player isn't needed.
The midfield makeup is one that won't become clear until Chelsea start to make moves for a holding midfielder and the dominos fall with N'Golo Kante and Jorginho's future, but no matter what happens with those players, Tuchel knows he has a gem on his hands just waiting to be used.
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