It feels as if the saga surrounding Chelsea's takeover race has been rumbling on for years now, but finally it appears to be drawing to a close. There was one last bump in the road along the way, however, after reports emerged that doubts surrounding the debts owed to Roman Abramovich could derail the sale.
A consortium led by billionaire Todd Boehly had an offer accepted to buy the club from Abramovich, ending the Russian's 19-year spell as owner. He leaves amid a cloud of sanctions, imposed on him by the UK government due to alleged links to Vladimir Putin, something Abramovich has always denied.
But the sanctions placed on him left the club unable to operate as normal. All transfer and contract negotiations had to be put on hold while they were also unable to sell home tickets for Premier League matches. Boehly's takeover will finally put an end to those restrictions and after Abramovich struck a deal with the UK government this week, everything appears to be back on track. The priority can soon turn to building towards a busy summer transfer window.
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As well as new additions, though, Chelsea needs to ensure they keep some of their star players, who have recently been linked with a move away due to the uncertainty hovering over the club in recent weeks. The contractual situations of some players mean they will be leaving Stamford Bridge in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Thomas Tuchel confirmed earlier this season that Antonio Rudiger is set to depart at the end of the season. The Germany international is expected to join Real Madrid when his Chelsea contract reaches its conclusion next month.
Likewise, Andreas Christensen looks set to leave upon the expiry of his contract at the end of next month. The Dane has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona - and if he leaves as well as Rudiger, this would leave Chelsea very short of defensive options indeed.
With those two looking like they are on their way out of the Stamford Bridge door, it's up to the club now to ensure there are no more repeats that would see other key players leaving in the summer transfer window. As things stand, Chelsea has eight players in their senior squad who see their contracts at the club expire in the summer of 2023. Marcus Bettinelli, Thiago Silva, Marcos Alonso, Kenedy, Ross Barkley, N'Golo Kante, Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho all have just over 12 months remaining on their deals.
Kante is the name that strikes out the most there. The France international, who admittedly hasn't had the best of seasons on a personal note, remains one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League.
At 31-years-old, he perhaps doesn't have too many years left in his tank, especially because of the energetic, high-pressing game he specialises in. Either way, surely Chelsea will be looking at offering the Frenchman a short-term extension on his contract.
Though not absolutely pressing, the Blues are understood to be determined to extend the contracts of both Mason Mount and Reece James in the near future. The two Cobham graduates have excelled this season for Chelsea's first-team, and the situation with the club at the moment, although it looks to be finally coming to an end, has put other sides on red alert when it comes to Mount and James.
Liverpool have been linked with Mount, with Jurgen Klopp said to be a huge admirer of the England international's talents. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are reportedly keen on James - meaning Chelsea could look to offer the right-back fresh terms on a contract extension at Stamford Bridge.
It's not quite as simple as sitting down with Mount and James and offering them both improved contracts, though. Nothing is simple at the football club right now. As things stand, Chelsea are unable to conduct any transfer-related activity - and that includes offering their own players new deals.
Even with Boehly agreeing on terms for his consortium to become the new ownership of Chelsea, the club still need to attain a licence from the UK Government to return to usual operating terms once the sale is complete and finalised. Once they have that, they can press on with matters formally. The expiration of the current licence is May 31, and at this stage, it is unclear whether the Government would press on with handing Chelsea permission to return to usual operating terms before the end of the month.
