The transfer window is finally open and it needs to be a busy one for Chelsea. The Blues have a range of priorities to ensure Thomas Tuchel's squad can compete on all fronts and potentially make a challenge for the Premier League.
The German coach has been preparing for a rebuild with a number of incoming players required in the form of transfers or Chelsea aces returning from loan. Equally, the Blues are already set for a number of departures and may hope for a number to give the squad more room to manoeuvre when they return to training in July.
Tuchel said ahead of the end of the season: "We are hoping, but at the moment, we are not. You ask many times if we have a delay in approaching players and making plans, of course, a huge delay. We are affected by it, players are going out. We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging, but we are up for the challenge.
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"I don't know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that – I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea, and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see."
The Blues' summer has initially been dominated by the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen expiring, leaving Chelsea's defence in need of reinvigoration. In addition, the club have a number of contracts set to expire in 2023 and as consequence a number of players whose futures need to be resolved and potentially replaced.
While Rudiger and Christensen are the only first-team starts to have seen the contracts run down, the situation looked like it could be worse 12 months ago. Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta, who are among the number to see their deals end in 2023, both also could have been leaving Stamford Bridge this summer.
Chelsea's backline already needs to see fresh faces but few could have expected how crucial both would be over the course of the season. Extending Silva's deal in January has looked like better business with each day that passes. Only Rudiger and Edouard Mendy played more minutes for the Blues last term than the former AC Milan and PSG star.
Silva has continued to defy even his own expectations. Upon signing his extension in January, the Brazilian said: "To play here with Chelsea is a real pleasure. I never thought I would play for three years here in this great club so I’m very happy to stay for another season."
The 37-year-old has racked up 57 appearances for club and country, more than any other season of is career. Maintaining the standard of performance he has for Chelsea, has quite simply been outstanding.
However, once again Silva comes to the point where his contract has 12 months remaining with no guarantee that the veteran will stay beyond it. The defender has become one of the Blues' most important players but the question will remain, how long can he continue, even if Silva does keep answering it.
While the likes of Jules Kounde are being touted to come to Stamford Bridge, and there is a possibility Levi Colwill steps up to the first-team squad to continue his development, there is no obvious candidate for Thiago Silva's successor in the heart of defence. Christensen may once have been that figure, but his departure and difficult season means that is no longer on the cards.
There are candidates like Trevoh Chalobah and Ethan Ampadu who could learn a great deal from Silva in the next 12 months and have the versatility to play across the back three, but perhaps a transfer is needed to find a true replacement if Tuchel wants to keep a back three for the long haul. A player that can share minutes with O Monstro would be ideal unless the Blues want to pray Silva can continue to play so many minutes.
Even if Silva could stay for a season beyond 2022/23, the progression much be on Chelsea's mind to ensure that in 12 months' time they are not once again trying to rebuild, and instead looking to improve. If they can do that this summer it will show they are starting to plan for the future and provide reassurance too.
