While transfer deadline day passed without anymore signings for Chelsea, it was overall a good transfer window for Frank Lampard’s side.
The Blues spent more money than anyone in Europe this summer and they got most of their business done early.
Having saved up funds after two transfer windows of no new players and sales of nearly £200m, Chelsea were in a relatively advantageous financial position in the market compared to basically every other team, all of whom were hit to some extent by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chelsea Summer Transfers
HAKIM ZIYECH, (€40m from Ajax) — actually agreed before the pandemic and the lockdown truly hit; expected to play right wing and attacking midfield
TIMO WERNER, 24 (€50m from RB Leipzig) — paid buyout clause, moving in when Liverpool baulked on doing the same; expected to play center forward and left wing
BEN CHILWELL, 23 (£50m from Leicester City) — certainly not cheap, but less than what Leicester were originally asking; expected to be the long-term starter at left back
THIAGO SILVA, 36 ($FREE from PSG) — stopgap solution for this season; position to be addressed properly next summer
KAI HAVERTZ, 21 (€80m from Bayer Leverkusen) — club record fee for a non-goalkeeper, but still a bit less than what was originally asked despite no real competition for his signature: Chelsea truly taking advantage of the club’s re-found top end financial muscle to sign a player we believe to be a generational talent
EDOUARD MENDY, 28 (less than €25m from Rennes) — not the most glamorous signing and a name not many knew before August, but one who just might make the biggest impact in terms of solving a major problem from last season.
While Chelsea failed in their pursuit of West Ham defender Declan Rice, they did sign two young and highly rated center backs for free, Xavier Mbuyamba (from Barcelona) and Malang Sarr (from Nice). Neither will play a role in the team this season — Sarr’s loan to FC Porto is expected to be confirmed soon while Mbuyamba is recovering from knee surgery first and foremost — but could certainly play a role in the future.
