Thomas Tuchel was pretty swift when describing what he thinks Chelsea needs to do in this summer's transfer window.
"We have to be fast and smart," the German stated after Sunday's final game of the season. "We have clear ideas for the profiles and characteristics of these players. But it's not like we put a name on the list, and then we get the player. We have to convince the player, speak to their clubs, and convince ourselves this is the player [we need]. So there is normally a lot of work, and it will be the same to be competitive next season."
Chelsea are already behind their competitors in the market due to the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich back in March. Once those are lifted after the imminent takeover of the consortium led by Todd Boehly, there will be little room for the sort of transfer blunders we've seen from the club in recent years.
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The instant focus will be on rebuilding Tuchel's defence after the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Spain.
Football.london understands Chelsea remains intent on signing Jules Kounde from Sevilla this summer after negotiations began last summer with Sevilla. The French defender could be the first signing of the Boehly era, with other defenders such as Gleison Bremer and Josko Gvardiol linked.
Moving further up the pitch though, feels less predictable with a number of the squad's current attackers sitting on uncertain futures. As reported by The Telegraph, Romelu Lukaku and his representatives will speak to Tuchel and the new owners about the Belgian's future after an awkward first season back.
Whilst the trio of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic could all depart west London this summer, the same report from The Telegraph claims that selling either one or all of the three could see Chelsea consider a move for Raheem Sterling, who has one year remaining on his Manchester City contract and is yet to decide on his future.
Sterling has been linked to Chelsea before, and his Manchester City future has also been questioned. The England winger came off the bench in City's final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa to dramatically win the league title, Sterling's fourth at the Etihad.
When Tuchel referred to moving "fast and smart", those two words could be deemed opposing stances and difficult to balance in one hit. Sterling, at 27, is nearing his final big contract and might not offer the same wide profile as a younger Ousmane Dembele or Raphinha, and both have been linked to Chelsea since January.
And could Chelsea, potentially aiming for a more data-led transfer setup, attempt to find someone younger across Europe who would cost less? Maybe, if we look at Luis Diaz's impact at Liverpool. But Chelsea does not have a new system already in place that has proved highly efficient for several years.
Sterling is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and is undeniably one of the most productive players in his position across the last five years. With 131 goals for City in 339 appearances, Sterling has developed into one of Pep Guardiola's most trusted figures in a highly competitive attack.
His final tally of 13 league goals would make him Chelsea's top scorer in front of Mason Mount with 11 for the season. In the end, neither Lukaku nor Kai Havertz hit double figures in the league, a feat Sterling has now achieved in five consecutive Premier League seasons.
Sterling has the versatility to play across a frontline but has spent most of his time from the left and has remained pretty durable compared to Tuchel's attack, which has suffered its fair share of injury issues.
With only one year left on his deal, Sterling would probably view Chelsea as the most realistic next step based on his expectations and level. He could be highly motivated to prove more given Guardiola's continued rotation, which at times has reportedly caused friction between the pair.
This transfer, which would require many moving parts, has a whiff of the Cesc Fabregas transfer in 2014, a player in his prime who had won big titles with tons of experience but arrived under Jose Mourinho with a burning sense of urgency to remind everyone of their elite talent.
Based on the current attack, its lack of productivity and the calls for a rebuild, Sterling would appear an upgrade suited to the Premier League, a team who wants to dominate possession and counter-press.
