Mauricio Pochettino starts his work with Chelsea next week as the new head coach begins reshaping the project to improve upon last season's disappointing 12th-placed finish in the Premier League. There has already been some major work conducted to the squad, with the foundations being placed.
With a bloated squad, the previous campaign brought about struggles with consistency in the lineups and in the performances that followed. As a result, exits have come about to try and cut down on those issues, with a number of moves already confirmed this week.
N'Golo Kante left on a free to join Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, while Kalidou Koulibaly followed to join Al-Hilal, with Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy expected to make the switch to Saudi Arabia too. Mateo Kovacic was confirmed as a new Manchester City player on Tuesday, while Kai Havertz is close to joining London rivals Arsenal.
There's also the future of Mason Mount to consider in all of this, with one-year remaining on his contract and a deal with Manchester United yet to be agreed between the clubs. Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku all have uncertain futures too.
With the moves for the old, in come the new as the Blues are expected to make further moves in the window to strengthen their ranks. An emphasis on younger recruits could see Pochettino lean on the talents of tomorrow to make a push towards the top, with the midfield department one area in particular that requires some fresh perspective.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Done deal, Mount agreement, Kane bid, Caicedo move, Kovacic exit
One player who could be involved next season is Andrey Santos, the young Brazilian midfielder who joined the Blues in the January transfer window. The 19-year-old spent the rest of the campaign on loan at Vasco da Gama, while waiting for approval for his work visa to go through.
With that now approved, he could be up for contention and gives Pochettino something else to consider when it comes to his squad. Santos even took to social media to post a picture of his luggage ready to board a plane, perhaps to London as pre-season edges ever closer.
It could be a crucial few weeks for the youngster to convince the new head coach that he is part of the plans for the campaign, otherwise a loan may be likely.
