Chelsea got the big one done, eventually. A transfer saga that took an entire window and more to materialise. On the way to completing Enzo Fernandez's signing there was also the small case of seven others joining too.
Having started relatively low-key with David Datro Fofana for £10million from Molde, Chelsea gradually grew. Andrey Santos, £12million from Vasco de Gama, was next before the relatively unknown quantity of Benoit Badiashile. For £35million he already looks a good pick-up.
Then things really accelerated. Joao Felix on loan was greeted with excited but scepticism due to the price of his loan but it was nonetheless a bright new attacker. One loss to Fulham later and Mykhailo Mudryk came in remarkably. The pace had been stepped up.
READ MORE: Enzo Fernandez first words on Chelsea transfer after completing £106m deadline day Benfica move
Noni Madueke swiftly followed his wing partner and that left many hoping for a right wing-back before calling it a day with a tremendous amount of work done. Malo Gusto arrived and that was meant to be that. £183million spent in 29 days on seven players 22 or younger. How to rebuild a squad in a month.
Then Fernandez happened. The reports that Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali wouldn't say no to Rui Costa in two days worth of back and forth negotiations for the player. Chelsea rounded off deadline day and their window with a new British transfer record.
Fernandez through the door and optimism spiking. Chelsea signed the World Cup's young player of the tournament. For comparison that has previously been won by Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Thomas Muller, Lukas Podolski, Michael Owen, Franz Beckenbauer and Pele.
It was at that fateful night in Qatar that Todd Boehly set his mind on signing the then 21-year-old star. According to David Ornstein: "When Enzo Fernandez came off the field at the World Cup final Todd Boehly told his recruitment staff 'get me that man'."
The American co-owner has been instrumental in leading Chelsea's last nine months and has since taken his foot off the gas, allowing Paul Winstanley and Christopher Vivell to take up the mantle. Such is his presence in the world game at the moment though Boehly is still commanding a tight ship and it's worked in the market.
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