Chelsea undergo busy transfer window and squad overhaul
Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham), Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa), Renato Veiga (FC Basel), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City), Marc Guiu (Barcelona), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United) and Filip Jorgensen (Villarreal) have been announced as new Chelsea arrivals this summer, with Brazilian teenager Estevao Willian also set to join in 2025.
Aaron Anselmino will complete a move to Chelsea from Boca Juniors as well, after completing his medical at Stamford Bridge this week, making it nine signings in total for new manager Enzo Maresca ahead of his first Premier League season in charge.
However, a lot of the aforementioned players are young and could be deemed as ones for the future, rather than immediate upgrades to Maresca’s first team. Only Tosin, Dewsbury-Hall and Jorgensen look likely to go straight into the senior team, so there could still be work to do for co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.
| Chelsea’s best-performing players in the Premier League last season | Average match rating (WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Cole Palmer | 7.48 |
| Conor Gallagher | 7.13 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 7.07 |
| Moises Caicedo | 6.85 |
| Noni Madueke | 6.84 |
Most notably, Chelsea appear to be making serious moves for a new forward. The west Londoners are in ongoing talks with Napoli over striker Victor Osimhen, and Romelu Lukaku could be used as a makeweight, with the Belgian already agreeing a three-year contract and pay-cut to work under Antonio Conte again (Ben Jacobs).
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also submitted a concrete bid for Hoffenheim striker Maximilian Beier, who could be an alternative to Osimhen if a deal cannot be done for the Nigerian.
There is also the possibility of adding yet more talent to Chelsea’s ever-growing pool of young players with real potential. KRC Genk shot-stopper Mike Penders, who made his Jupiler Pro League debut last weekend in a 0-0 draw with Standard Liege, is the latest gem on their radar.
Reports earlier this week claimed Chelsea were closing in on a deal for Penders, who BlueCo believe could be the next Thibaut Courtois. The 19-year-old, who stands at a lofty 6 foot 7, now appears even closer to a Stamford Bridge move.
Penders agrees to join Chelsea as deal reached with Genk
According to HITC, Penders has agreed to join Chelsea and they’ve reached a deal with Genk. Indeed, the Blues will pay around £16.8 million to get him over the line, and he’ll remain on loan at Genk for the 2024/2025 season to aid his development.
With both personal terms and an agreement struck between the clubs, it appears Chelsea are closing in on their tenth capture of the window, with the teenage talent appearing highly-rated by those within the club after the Courtois comparison.
In future seasons, he could well be competing with Jorgensen for the number one spot.
