Chelsea have already spent £112.5 million this summer in the hope of reinvigorating their squad ahead of the Premier League season that gets underway against Everton on Saturday. Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Slonina and Carney Chukwuemeka have all been signed in addition to a number of other prospects for the development squad.
The deal to sign Aston Villa product Chukwuemeka was perhaps the most impressive in many respects. Despite the 18-year-old drawing interest from the likes of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, the Blues managed to come to an agreement with the Villa Park club with no fuss percolating into the media and swiftly worked through the process to complete the signing by Thursday morning.
Chelsea's successful business so far this summer has been embodied by efficiency. Whether that be Todd Boehly contacting Manchester City to cut to the chase in talks over Sterling, or the quick work to sign Koulibaly. Slonina's deal was more prolonged, with much of the work done under the previous hierarchy but in the end saw minimal disruption, despite interest from Real Madrid.
READ MORE: Chelsea complete £20m transfer for Aston Villa wonderkid Carney Chukwuemeka
When the Blues have not secured a deal, the route has often been more problematic. Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake have seen discrepancies over fees or preference of club. Some have been unnecessarily drawn out and others destined not to work from the outset. With the season on the verge of getting underway, and four weeks of the transfer window remaining, Chelsea cannot afford those scenarios.
While progress seemed swift over a £52.5 million move for Marc Cucurella, Wednesday night saw the transfer's first bit of drama when Brighton moved to make clear no agreement was in place. They said: "Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella." It’s understood that Chelsea have agreed a fee worth £52.5 million for the Spaniard, although the deal has yet to be fully signed off by the Seagulls
Regardless, for Cucurella and Leicester City's Wesley Fofana, it appears Chelsea have been put in the position of knowing what they need to do to land the players. The Blues appear to have met that mark for the former, while the Foxes are in no rush to sell Fofana and seem to have quoted a fee in the region of £80 million. There may be room for negotiations, but Chelsea cannot afford to engage in discussions that result in them having to find another target at the end.
The clock is ticking for the west London side and while Thomas Tuchel will be able to put a strong starting XI out against Everton, it seems unlikely that the rebuild the German coach spoke of in May will be complete. New signings are required in the bid to reach the three central defenders that were on the shopping list, while the club is still home to a number of wantaway players.
Levi Colwill could be set for Brighton, while players as far reaching as Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicuetea to Ross Barkley and Billy Gilmour are likely see their futures away from Stamford Bridge. Following a pre-season defeat to Arsenal, Tuchel acknowledged his side lacked mental commitment 'because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options'.
As a result, Chelsea have to be as efficient in selling players as signing them. Getting business done quickly has been what brought Todd Boehly success so far this window, and that must be replicated in the final month.
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