Chelsea summer transfer decisions as Olise signs, Gallagher fate decided

Chelsea have kicked off their summer transfer window by announcing that they sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham on a free transfer.

As deals go, it doesn’t get a lot more agreeable than signing a Premier League-ready star looking to push up to the next level for free.

But what comes next for the Blues? There is a lot to consider for sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, with the futures of a number of current stars up in the air, as well as the question of which areas they strengthen when the window does open.

There have been links – the likes of Michael Olise and now Julian Alvarez have been talked about as potential targets this summer following Enzo Maresca’s arrival.

So what will the coming weeks and months bring? Will the Blues give Maresca the team he needs to challenge for a place in the top four? Or will it be a struggle to get the players they really want?

football.london takes a look below…

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Bobby Vincent – Chelsea writer

There was talk over a new goalkeeper being brought in but speculation on that particular area has seemingly died down following the appointment of Maresca. The Italian head coach is said to be a big fan of Robert Sanchez, so perhaps the Spaniard will be given a run in the side.

If Trevoh Chalobah is to leave then the Blues will need to go and address the centre-back situation. Signing someone like Ousmane Diomande could be the move. At 20-years-old, he is widely regarded as one of the most promising up-and-coming central defenders in European football right now.

Similarly, if Conor Gallagher is to leave then the club need to look at bringing in a new central midfielder. Bruno Guimaraes, I think, should be the one they go for but they might well be priced out of a move for the Newcastle United star. While we do not know exactly who they are looking at midfielder-wise, we know the club have a shortlist of names.

A winger is likely to be looked at with Michael Olise a long-term target for the club. Likewise, the Blues are looking to bring in a striker and are expected to face competition for Benjamin Sesko’s signature from London rivals Arsenal, while talk over a move for Victor Osimhen has massively cooled in recent weeks.

I think the Blues will end up with four new signings this summer – Tosin included in that – with a new midfielder, winger and striker being brought to Stamford Bridge.

Tom Coley – Central Audience Writer

It has been two years and four transfer windows of Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership at Chelsea now. In that time they have managed to remain unpredictable and so far inefficient on a level not even closely met by Roman Abramovich.

So what to expect from a third summer in charge, and a big one for the co-sporting directors, is hard to predict. The arrival of Adarabioyo, 26, as the oldest player signed since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in September 2022 suggests it might be a movement away from the youth recruitment drive.

Interest in Michael Olise also shows that Chelsea are turning towards more proven additions. If he was to arrive then it would be one of the best piece of business possible.

Contract certainty for Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, and others will be a priority as well. The club would be better off keeping them but if that isn’t deemed possible/financially viable then a swift resolution is better than it dragging on.

In goal, there is a need for a comfortable ball-playing option. Nobody springs out off the page with that, but questions must be asked of why Djordje Petrovic and Robert Sanchez were signed last summer. Up front Nicolas Jackson needs help leading the line but Julian Alvarez is a strange option to fill that role given the pair’s similarities.

Joe Doyle – Content Editor

It’s a tricky summer for the Blues. There are a number of issues to solve in the team and not long for a new manager to get his new side ready. The only thing we know truly so far is to expect the unexpected with Chelsea.

That’s been proven already with the deal to sign Tosin Adarabioyo this summer. Barely a blip on the radar just a couple of weeks before a deal was announced, Chelsea moved quickly to get the contract signed.

I think with the Euros and Copa America this summer we’ll see a couple of deals go through early, followed by some late arrivals once tournaments are done.

I think one of the things that looks likely to happen at the moment is Conor Gallagher leaving. It probably shouldn’t happen, but the first two years of the Boehly-Clearlake era have made sales of former academy stars a necessity, and right now Gallagher is probably the most marketable.

In terms of incoming, I’d expect there to be maybe one more in defence, particularly if Trevoh Chalobah also leaves. And in all likelihood, there would be a need to bring in a replacement for Gallagher, as well as a striker to compete with and supplement Nicolas Jackson – with another academy graduate in Armando Broja looking set for the exit.

Whether that attacker will be a standout star, we don’t yet know. Chelsea are a tougher sell for players than just a couple of years ago. The instability means there are more opportunities for players to make a name for themselves, but will it result in a cohesive team challenging for top honours? It’s a lot of pressure on Enzo Maresca to deliver, that’s for sure.