The takeover of Chelsea Football Club looks to be nearing its conclusion now, finally. Following Roman Abramovich's decision to sell the club, there has been a mass search for someone to replace the Russian billionaire.
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.
Following the Blues' statement earlier in the month confirming a deal had been struck between the American consortium and the club, there has still been some doubt. However, it's believed that the takeover is now as close as it has ever been to finally being completed.
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The upcoming summer transfer window looks set to be a huge one for Chelsea. The club need to ensure the remainder of the takeover process runs smoothly so money can be injected into the squad to try and reduce the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City.
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.
Speaking after Chelsea's draw with Leicester City on Thursday evening, Tuchel was asked about Kante and his importance. The German head coach gave some answers, which looks to be a pointed message to the club.
He said: "I think he is our key, key player, but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch, and he only plays 40% of games, and it's maybe a miracle we arrive in third place. He is our Mo Salah, he is our van Dijk, he is our de Bruyne, and he is simply that player. He is our Neymar, he is our Kylian Mbappe, he is the guy who makes the difference, and if you only have him 40%, it's a huge problem.
"Given that percentage, it's maybe a miracle of how consistent we produce results, and it puts everything into perspective because I saw Liverpool last season without Van Dijk, and they struggled, they struggled heavily, and you see the difference. N'Golo is our key player, and he needs to be on the pitch.
"It's not quite as simple as sitting down with Kante and offering him a new contract, 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.
