The Premier League season has only just got underway but the culmination of the transfer window is approaching. There are three weeks remaining for the Blues to complete any outstanding business and Thomas Tuchel's squad could yet see plenty of changes.
Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella all impressed on their debut in Chelsea's win over Everton, in what was a sluggish outing overall for the team. Timo Werner, Marcos Alonso, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ethan Ampadu, Emerson Palmieri and Malang Sarr were all absent from the squad for the trip to Goodison Park with plenty of questions surrounding their futures.
Thomas Tuchel revealed that Alonso had asked not to play amid a potential move to Barcelona. The German coach said: "That is the case. He tries to leave and we agreed to this wish. That's why it would not have made sense to put him on the pitch today. He would've been on the pitch otherwise but in this situation, it was the right thing to do."
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There could still be a great deal of difference in the options Tuchel has to call upon come the clash with West Ham. football.london takes a look at what Todd Boehly and the Chelsea hierarchy must still look to achieve before the end of the window.
Seal the deal
The Blues have completed four transfers already this summer but are keen to add Wesley Fofana to their ranks. Tuchel seemed to hint as much as he reflected on the age of the backline that faced Everton, and the need for a new generation.
Perhaps more pertinent is Chelsea's reluctance to let the deal die. football.london understands a third bid for Fofana is imminent and will likely be a world-record fee for a centre-back once add-ons are taken into account. It's crucial the Blues get the deal done given the time constraints remaining in the window and that already invested in the move.
Any deal for Frenkie de Jong remains complicated given his financial situation with Barcelona.
Sell players who want to leave
Chelsea appear set for two departures in the coming days with Timo Werner and Malang Sarr set for RB Leipzig and Monaco respectively. The German forward's relationship with Tuchel is said to have become strained and the 25-year-old of course has ambitions to be in his nation's World Cup squad for the coming winter. Werner confirmed his departure on Tuesday evening and it sets the tone for the Blues' business in the coming weeks.
Sarr could follow him out of the exit door with the Frenchman expected to head on loan to Monaco for the season. That deal appears set to have a clause that would leave the Ligue 1 side obligated to complete a £13 million permanent deal, should Sarr record a certain number of appearances in 2022/23.
The duo were just one of a number of players left out of Chelsea's squad over the weekend and deals for the likes of Alonso, who wants to leave the club are crucial. Meanwhile, if a deal can be done for Ross Barkley, it should be given his distance from the first team at the moment.
Following the addition of Cucurella, whether Tuchel prefers to have three left-sided wing-backs remains to be seen and as a result, the club's inclination to keep Emerson could be tested. In addition, Billy Gilmour does not appear to have a place among the first team and will be in need of first-team football to enhance his development.
During the trip to the USA, Tuchel acknowledged the negatives having players who see their future elsewhere around the group can have. That could leave some difficult decisions for a number of players and the Blues boss.
Figure out the future
Saturday's match against Everton, if nothing else, showed the competition that will exist to simply make Tuchel's squad. While the volume of football to be played will help alleviate some pressures that offers, a number of stars may be questioning where they see themselves this season.
football.london understands that Ethan Ampadu is holding talks with the club over his future while Callum Hudson-Odoi is pushing for a move away from Chelsea in order to secure first-team football. Tuchel did not allow the latter to do that last season, and this decision will be required once again.
Similar decisions lie in waiting for those outside of the first team set up too. The likes of Harvey Vale, Charlie Webster and more members of the development squad see their contracts end at the end of the season. Being able to make a decision regarding their future will open up more opportunities to whether they are allowed out on loan this season, after earning a comprehensive victory in the opening Premier League 2 games.
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