Chelsea completed their first senior signing of the summer transfer window on Wednesday afternoon. Raheem Sterling signed a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth around £55million (£45m plus £10m in add-ons, football.london understands).
It's the first incoming in what is promised to be an extremely busy window for the Blues in terms of signings. The centre of defence is now the priority following the arrival of Sterling, with Thomas Tuchel targeting "quality players".
The Chelsea head coach recently said in an interview with Sky Sports: "The stakes are high, and we're competing not only against the best teams who have ever played in the Premier League but also the best coaches. If you [then] see the transfer period and quality of coach at Tottenham, if you see the same at Arsenal, at Man Utd, we know what the challenge is. It's the toughest challenge you can [have].
READ MORE: What Thomas Tuchel said to Raheem Sterling ahead of his first training session with Chelsea
"We come from sanctions, we come from losing top-quality players, key players, we are a club in transition of ownership, we were behind in the transfer race, and we were behind in the table. So we have things to improve.
"The signing of Raheem shows what we're capable of doing, it shows the ambition of the club and the ownership, and it's good because we're all here to win and compete. We love to compete, and we love the challenge at the very top. For that, we need signings of new quality players, or otherwise, there's no chance."
With the Sterling deal now complete, football.london takes a close look at the areas of the squad Chelsea need to address now, with just over three weeks until their Premier League opener against Everton at Goodison Park...
Kalidou Koulibaly
Chelsea are on the verge of signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli. The Blues have agreed a €40m (£33.8m) fee with the Italian club for the 31-year-old defender, football.london has been told, with a move now very close.
Personal terms have also been agreed upon between Chelsea and Koulibaly, who is set to sign a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge. Following the departures of defensive duo Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, Tuchel needed to act swiftly to bring a replacement in.
Nathan Ake
Chelsea are continuing to progress with the signing of Nathan Ake from Manchester City, as football.london reported earlier in the week. The Netherlands international is someone Tuchel has liked ever since he was the manager at Borussia Dortmund.
Man City want a fee in excess of £40m for Ake. Chelsea will naturally try to drive that price down in the coming days while negotiating a move.
Presnel Kimpembe
Another centre-back. It seems Tuchel wants to bring in three new central defenders this summer, and the Chelsea head coach is targeting Paris Saint-Germain star Presnel Kimpembe.
The Blues are now in talks with PSG over signing the 26-year-old, who worked under Tuchel at the Parc des Princes. Juventus are also thought to be keen on signing the French defender, meaning Chelsea may need to act quickly if they are to complete the deal.
Jonathan Clauss
Chelsea are interested in Lens right-back Jonathan Clauss this summer, but the defender is not a priority right now. The Blues are keen to add a backup option for Reece James, who suffered numerous injury problems last season.
Clauss, who is also attracting interest from other European clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Marseille, is said to be available for as little as £10m this summer. The 29-year-old has less than 12 months remaining on his contract with Lens.
Serge Gnabry
A source recently told football.london that Chelsea are considering making a move for Serge Gnabry this summer. The 26-year-old has less than a year left to run on his contract with Bayern Munich and could be available for a somewhat bargain price.
Chelsea were very interested in Raphinha – and even agreed a fee with Leeds United – but Barcelona won the race for the Brazil international. The Blues must now look elsewhere, and former Arsenal wide man Gnabry has been identified as a possible option for Tuchel.
READ NEXT:
- Inside story of Raheem Sterling to Chelsea as Thomas Tuchel and Todd Boehly both play major role
- Kalidou Koulibaly's 'official' Chelsea announcement moves closer as Napoli identify replacement
- What Antonio Rudiger did as Chelsea complete Raheem Sterling transfer amid Thomas Tuchel plan
- Arsenal and Chelsea handed major transfer blow as Serge Gnabry makes Bayern Munich contract decision
- Kalidou Koulibaly Chelsea transfer agreement offers Thomas Tuchel a quick tactical solution
