In cricket, you can't win a test match inside one session, but you can often lose one. Chelsea are in a similar situation in the transfer market. They have AC Milan in a position whereby the Blues can't sign Rafael Leao before the World Cup, but they can pull the strings and be in a strong position after it.
The 23-year-old was already sought after by Todd Boehly over the summer and had there not already been a £250million transfer spend, his release clause - a sizable £127million - may have been met or at least seriously tested. As it happened, Chelsea probed away with Leao throughout the summer and did what they weren't able to do between March and June, the groundwork.
Having been a frozen asset of Roman Abramovich's, Chelsea couldn't steal any yards on their rivals in the transfer market and started someway behind the opening blocks, and they did it from a walking start too.
