Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Daniel Childs

Ousmane Dembele arrives, Ben Chilwell backup – Todd Boehly's dream Chelsea transfer window

Chelsea's plans for this upcoming transfer window have been on pause due to the limitations placed on the club having to operate under a special government licence after Roman Abramovich had sanctions imposed on him in March.

However, following Wednesday morning's confirmation that the UK Government has approved the sale of the club to the consortium led by Todd Boehly, the Blues are on the brink of being able to revitalise those dormant ambitions.

With the squad in need of a rebuild, the upcoming months will be vital for Thomas Tuchel to improve Chelsea ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. The defence, midfield and attack all arguably need fresh investment and ensuring the first window of the new era goes smoothly will be tricky given the reality Chelsea are already behind their rivals.

READ MORE: What Neymar has said about key Chelsea 'friendship' after PSG make huge transfer decision

After my colleague Bobby Vincent laid out his dream window which you can read here, I will omit the names of Jules Kounde and Declan Rice from my list as both are starkly obvious to most Chelsea fans, and will feature in a majority of lists.

Instead, I'm picking out three names that would help improve the quality of the squad in key positions, provide new traits in areas that greatly lack them and ensure the Blues are investing wisely, whilst also allowing Cobham talent to be given a chance to shine.

Ousmane Dembele

The biggest name on this list and one who would certainly spark a lot of excitement should he opt to join the Blues this summer. The French winger has been linked since January as reports of his refusal to sign a new contract with Barcelona came to light.

I was initially sceptical over Dembele, primarily on his persistent injury issues at the Nou Camp. But his second half of the season should spark excitement with 12 goal contributions since February seeing him become a pretty devastating presence down the right-wing.

Tuchel needs a creative maverick in this attack, someone who can do daring things and increase the productivity which has been severely lacking from his current cast. With the chance of him leaving Barca on a free and still at only 25, the investment does not feel like a silly one for a talent who connected so well with Tuchel in Dortmund.

Borna Sosa

As much as Chelsea need players who can improve the starting lineup, they also need suitable backup and rotational options, something that has become an issue when key injuries shortened Tuchel's options over winter. Wingbacks are vital to Tuchel's system and he needs mobile ones that can maintain the intensity of pressing throughout and add width to stretch deep-lying defences.

Stuttgart's left wingback Borna Sosa is not a new name linked, apparently being watched by Chelsea this season. Sosa is renowned for his crossing which could be key if Romelu Lukaku remains at Stamford Bridge. Sosa's numbers are not radically different to Ben Chilwell, the player he'd be competing with.

His rate of shot-creating actions (3.71) is slightly lower than Chilwell's pre-injury figure of 2.86 via FBRef, and he betters Chilwell for progressive passes and carries.

Gleison Bremer

With Chelsea reportedly looking for two defenders this summer, a left-sided one feels particularly key after the departure of Antonio Rudiger.

Promoting Levi Colwill feels a no-brainer but adding a more experienced head who is also versatile can further upgrade options. Football.london understands Bremer has been watched by Chelsea this season – and as an aggressive centre-back who has played on the left of a back three this term, he would likely be a replacement for Rudiger should an approach come to fruition.

Bremer has played across a back-five for Torino and is regarded as one of Serie A's strongest, linked with a host of clubs this summer and could prove another shrewd buy from Italy after the 2017 deal for Rudiger from Roma.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.