The Transfers Chelsea Must Make After Club World Cup Success: Depth Needed, Outgoings Key | OneFootball

The unique, bizarre nature of the football calendar this summer means Chelsea have already completed a lot of their transfer business—decisions which were justified when they got their hands on the Club World Cup.

João Pedro proved to be a star and Liam Delap also played his part, while a deal for Jamie Gittens finally crossed the line after talks over a pre-tournament move fell through. A lot of Chelsea’s weak spots have been addressed, but their Club World Cup triumph puts them in a fascinating spot.

As was the case in 2012 when Eden Hazard took to social media to confirm he was signing for the “Champion's League winners”—rogue apostrophe and all—Chelsea now have an allure which has not been seen at Stamford Bridge for years. The proof of this project, oft mocked and ridiculed, is clear to see, and players will want to be part of that.

With transfer gurus now able to focus solely on reinforcing the squad, here are the moves Chelsea need to make before the window closes.

Cover for Marc Cucurella

Marc Cucurella’s workload is destined to cause problems. / IMAGO/Pacific Press Agency

No player played more minutes for Chelsea across 2024–25 than Marc Cucurella. While that is a fair reflection of his resurgence and importance to Enzo Maresca’s system, it is also wildly unsustainable.

The Spaniard was a near-permanent fixture in the squad last season, partly because of a lack of natural alternatives. Maresca has made his disdain towards typical full-backs evident during his time at Stamford Bridge, jettisoning Ben Chilwell in favour of introducing a hybrid role which sees Cucurella operate as both a left-back and an attacking midfielder at the same time. It is a key part of Chelsea’s system and one which could fall apart at any given moment if Cucurella picks up an injury.

Finding somebody to offer cover for Cucurella should be the next priority for Chelsea, although that job is by no means as simple as signing a new left-back. Maresca needs somebody with a specific set of skills and players like that are not particularly common—or cheap.

The left-back market is limited and so a touch of creativity may be needed from Chelsea, who are known admirers of Ajax’s Jorrel Hato. Some have called for Valentín Barco to be brought over from Strasbourg, but the 20-year-old may benefit from more time to hone his craft after a tricky spell on the books at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea did think they had a solution for this problem when they signed Renato Veiga last summer. The talented 21-year-old was seen as a bargain when he joined from Basel for £12 million ($16.1 million), but frustrations over his role saw him force a January loan to Juventus, bringing the Blues back to square one.

Experienced Goalkeepers

Chelsea chased Mike Maignan before the Club World Cup. / IMAGO/Buzzi

Let’s address the obvious here. Any criticism of Robert Sánchez after that showing in the Club World Cup final feels almost illegal as it was a firm reminder of just how good he can be when he is on form.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, this side of Sánchez has not been particularly common. It came as no surprise to see the Blues pursue AC Milan’s Mike Maignan before the tournament began, and there is hope among fans that the deal could be reignited later in the window despite Massimiliano Allegri’s public insistence that Maignan will not leave.

Goalkeeper has been a position of weakness for Chelsea almost ever since Thibaut Courtois departed in 2018, with 2020–21 Édouard Mendy only offering brief respite from the struggle. An experienced, undisputedly elite stopper like Maignan would provide a significant boost to this side.

On the subject of experience, one of the more under-the-radar exits from Chelsea this summer came in the form of third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, who took his talents to Manchester City before the Club World Cup. Normally, the loss of a reserve option is largely inconsequential, but the departure of Bettinelli left Chelsea without not only a hugely popular figure, but a player over 27 years old. His professional expertise could be sorely missed.

The potential of Mike Penders is far too high to keep him as a reserve—the 19-year-old is expected to join Strasbourg on loan—while keeping 21-year-old Gabriel Slonina as emergency cover feels like a huge waste of a £12 million ($15 million at the time) player who does not even contribute to Chelsea’s homegrown squad quota. An experienced face should be recruited for cheap.

Focus on Sales

Raheem Sterling is one of many players up for sale. / IMAGO/IPS

With Chelsea conducting most of their transfer business before the Club World Cup, much of the focus now needs to be on outgoings.

A quick glance at the Chelsea squad highlights the best part of 15 players for whom permanent exits are required. Raheem Sterling, João Félix and the aforementioned Chilwell headline that group, with Veiga and Axel Disasi among the unwanted fringe players. That’s before we even get to the struggling talents who are currently part of the squad, like Christopher Nkunku.

Chelsea need to raise funds through player sales, but thankfully, the sheer volume of players heading for the exit should take care of the black hole on the balance sheet, meaning negotiations may not be particularly challenging—particularly when, in the case of Mathis Amougou and Ishé Samuels-Smith, they come with BlueCo-owned Strasbourg.

Maresca wants a deep squad, but the reality is concerns over his reluctance to call on his fringe players have persisted since his time with Leicester City. There is simply no need to keep some of the excess in most positions on the pitch.

That brings questions over the futures of players like Benoît Badiashile, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and even Nicolas Jackson. These are valuable assets who will only deteriorate when left out on the fringes. If minutes are not available, Chelsea should consider selling immediately.

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