This was the first transfer window of the Todd Boehly era and the new owner made a huge statement of intent. Nizaar Kinsella believes that the club may have broken a world record with their approximate £273 million spend. In this article, we will break down the first Chelsea transfer window under the new owners and give it a grade.
Chelsea Transfer Window – Grading Chelsea Transfers, Sales, and Loans
Marquee Signings of This Exhilarating Chelsea Transfer Window
It’s hard to look past the acquisition of Wesley Fofana as the biggest of the summer for Thomas Tuchel’s side. The centre of the defence was a problem area coming into this off-season with the ageing Thiago Silva being the only experienced player in the role at one point. With the signing of the 21-year-old, the team have picked up someone who could be the core of the defence for the long term.
Read More: £270 Million: Strongest Chelsea Lineup Following Potential Record Spend
Who Left Chelsea in This Window?
The following players departed the side over the course of the window:
- Antonio Rudiger
- Andreas Christensen
- Romelu Lukaku (loan)
- Marcos Alonso
- Timo Werner
- Emerson
- Billy Gilmour
- Kenedy
- Ross Barkley
- Michy Batshuayi
- Danny Drinkwater
- Matt Miazga
- Charly Musonda
- Edwin Andersson
- Luke Bradley-Morgan
- Jake Clarke Salter
- Xavier Mbuyamba
- George Nunn
- Karlo Ziger
- Josh Tobin
- George McEachran
- Malang Sarr (loan)
- Callum Hudson-Odoi (loan)
- Ethan Ampadu (loan)
- Baba Rahman (loan)
A long list of departures tells us one thing – the fat was cut off the squad in this window. Rudiger is arguably the biggest loss of the bunch but with his contract winding down, and the Blues dealing with sanctions at the time, there wasn’t much they could do about it.
The only other transfer that had some outcry was the departure of Gilmour to Brighton & Hove Albion. The 21-year-old was rated highly by some fans who would have liked to see him stay at Stamford Bridge.
A lot of fringe players were let go in some manner to shave down the bloated squad that Chelsea once had as players like Kenedy, Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley, and Matt Miazga finally waved goodbye to the team.
Who Joined Chelsea This Summer?
The following players were welcomed to London this summer:
- Marc Cucurella
- Kalidou Koulibaly
- Wesley Fofana
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Denis Zakaria
- Raheem Sterling
- Carney Chukwuemeka
- Cesare Casadei
- Gabriel Slonina
- Omari Hutchinson
- Zak Sturge
- Eddie Beach
This can be considered a success on two fronts. Major signings like Sterling, Cucurella, and Aubameyang directly improved the quality of the first team. We’ve already mentioned the defensive issues that Tuchel was facing at the beginning of the window but he received a completely retooled back-line this summer.
Official. Completed. Here we go.
Pierre Aubameyang joins Chelsea.#DeadlineDay #CFC ✅🔵 pic.twitter.com/XvBdOlXihI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2022
On the other side of things, you have a number of prospects being picked up to further benefit Vision 2030, an attempt by the new ownership to completely reshape the academy system. Players like Slonina, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, and Hutchinson are all parts of that long-term rebuild and could play key roles in the first team in the future.
Were There Any Missed Opportunities for Chelsea?
Jules Kounde stands out as a missed opportunity. The Barcelona man confirmed himself that a move to London was on the table but he opted to move to the Nou Camp. Thankfully, Fofana was signed instead to provide some youth and added class to the defence.
Denzel Dumfries then stands out as probably the biggest missed opportunity. Missing out on Kounde eventually caused the club to pick up a great player, but Dumfries was seemingly the only option for depth at the Right Wing-Back spot. As the window shut the former Champions League winners were left with Reece James as the only natural right wing-back in the squad, which is asking for trouble at such a physically intense position.
Chelsea Transfer Window Graded
This window was nearly perfect from Todd Boehly. He strengthened every area of the team and kept his eye on the future. A lack of wing-back depth holds this back from getting top marks. Grade: A
