Chelsea to complete £238m transfer U-turn as Enzo Maresca squad takes shape with five players

Chelsea have committed to spending £140million on new players this summer. Add in the deals for Estevao Willian (agreed last summer), Dario Essugo (completed in March), and Mamadou Sarr (done in January), then that figure rises to £227million.

Jorrel Hato is expected to cost at least £37million, whilst Xavi Simons is likely to be in advance of £61million. Even taking out Estevao, Essugo, and Sarr, the summer 2025 business alone will go hit £238million.

It will be the fourth summer in a row under the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly regime that the club have passed the £200million figure. If Nicolas Jackson is sold and another striker signed (something which cannot be ruled out despite the club's insistence that he is part of their plans), then it will only go up significantly more. Alejandro Garnacho remains a player of interest as well.

Although £238million would be the least heavy spending in one window, £325million (including those where the background work had been completed early) would far surpass the 2024 total. It did not take hindsight to predict the issues that would follow for Enzo Maresca 12 months ago.

He entered the window needing a new goalkeeper, midfielder, and striker. What Chelsea did, instead, was buy three left-wingers (one who could play centrally as a No.10), a second choice keeper and a host of young players with potential rather than readymade quality.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall essentially replaced Conor Gallagher, whilst Tosin Adarabioyo came in on a free transfer. The battle to become the most successful of the arrivals was not a particularly competitive one.

Tosin, from a cost perspective, was certainly worthwhile. But the decision to banish Trevoh Chalobah in order to create space for him still raises questions after the 180-degree turn in January. Pedro Neto ultimately can lay claim to coming out on top but that did not look likely until March, when he finally found his feet as a versatile forward.

Of the 12 players signed, one has already been sold (Joao Felix), another two have gone on developmental loans (Mike Penders and Caleb Wiley), whilst two more are up for sale (Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga). As far as improving on the squad left behind by Mauricio Pochettino goes, Chelsea didn't do it.

Omari Kellyman was an expensive by-product of selling Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa. There is definite talent to the youngster, who has had a torrid time through injury since moving, but it was a lot of money to commit to someone not in a position to improve the senior squad.

The same can be said of Penders, although there is already a pathway for him to become the future No.1, and he is rated extremely highly. Aaron Anselmino is among the flock of young South Americans with plenty to prove, and was not exactly cheap at £14million. Work will need to be done to get him into a first-team-ready option or someone who can draw a profit.

Marc Guiu was a low-risk signing from Barcelona but when he ended up as the only natural striker backup to Nicolas Jackson, issues were clear. Although Guiu is another with plenty of raw energy, he did not show the ability to make an impact at Premier League level.

Sancho was the surprise deadline day loan and by the end, he had been useful but not enough to sanction the wages of a star player or the £25million buy-out obligation - even if it did mean a £5million fee to send him back to Old Trafford. Meanwhile, loaning Andrey Santos to RC Strasbourg left the midfield exposed, especially with Dewsbury-Hall not having the desired effect.

Which leads to this summer. Chelsea have spent lavishly to buy Jamie Gittens for a large fee that represents his possible skills rather than current ones. However, he fits the profile needed much more than Felix, Sancho, and even Neto last year.

With Mykhailo Mudryk suspended indefinitely, left-wing was among the priority areas to address. Up front, Chelsea have added Delap and have the versatility of Joao Pedro to bolster their ranks as well.

Santos has returned and Essugo is in as the midfield takes on a much stronger look. If Jackson remains, then Chelsea's options up front are varied and deep. They have attacking flexibility, something lacking last year with Felix only able to deputise for Palmer in the Conference League.

Simons is a natural in-between for the left-wing to No.10 and will hope to fill in where Felix failed. Without Noni Madueke (now at Arsenal), Chelsea can turn to Palmer out wide more often if needed (especially with the requisite backup from Simons), Neto on his preferred flank, and Estevao, who showed in America that he is perhaps more ready to play than had first been imagined.

At left-back, Hato is set to come in and support Marc Cucurella, who stood up to the test of being flogged for club and country throughout the last 18 months. Hato is a much-more experienced player than Veiga was, and is established in European football.

So yes, Chelsea have spent yet again, but they have also continued to sell well in order to offset their squad-changing ambitions. What is definitely different this year is that the holes have been addressed, even if the pricing of certain players is still over the top at points.

Chelsea look better prepared for a season competing on multiple fronts than they did for Maresca's first year. They are not done yet, but some of the lessons from 2024's unmitigated problems appear to have been learned.

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