Five signings who could still arrive at Chelsea this summer

Chelsea are now one of just three Premier League clubs – along with Manchester United and Leicester City – who are yet to sign a single player during the current window. 

Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel have reportedly been working hard to secure the first signing of the former’s tenure as owner of the Blues, but they are yet to get a deal over the line.

With United having agreed a deal for ex-Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen, it could soon just be the Blues and the Foxes who are yet to add to their respective squads.

Deals for both Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha look to be off the cards now, with the former staying put with Barcelona and the latter looking to join him.

There is still plenty of time, though, and here we take a look at five players who could still move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Raheem Sterling – Manchester City

The Englishman’s move from The Etihad to Stamford Bridge is all but done according to Sky Sports, who claim that talks are at an advanced stage between City and Chelsea. The forward will bring Premier League pedigree and a proven goal scoring record to Stamford Bridge, having scored 109 goals in 320 games for the Citizens. A deal is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Matthijs de Ligt – Juventus

De Ligt is a target for Tuchel as he looks to rebuild his back line

Dutch centre-back De Ligt emerged as a candidate to bolster Tuchel’s backline in recent weeks, and talks appear to have progressed since. According to The Sun, the player favours a move to London over Bayern Munich, who have been touted as Chelsea’s closest rivals for the player. Tuchel has already lost both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen and could still see Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso leave the club. The Juventus defender won’t come cheap, though, with the Italian side reportedly holding out for as much as £102 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United

Manchester United have been rocked over the weekend by the news that Ronaldo wants to leave the club, and rivals Chelsea could even attempt to snatch the Portuguese away from them. As per The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella, the Blues have been offered the chance to sign the 37-year-old by his representatives, and Tuchel is believed to be an admirer of the player. Ronaldo is keen to secure Champions League football for the upcoming season, and Chelsea are able to offer him exactly that.

Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain

Neymar is reportedly open to the prospect of joining Chelsea

Kinsella’s report also claims that Brazilian superstar Neymar is open to the prospect of joining Chelsea. The Brazil international spent time working under Tuchel during the German’s time in the French capital, and it now appears that a reunion could be on the cards. It is claimed that Tuchel has been promised six arrivals by new owner Boehly, and Neymar would certainly be a statement signing during his first window in charge of the club.

Nathan Ake

During negotiations with City for Sterling, the Blues have also been enquiring about the possibility of signing Ake. The former Cobham academy graduate has struggled for game time for Pep Guardiola’s side since joining in 2020, and could fill the void left by Rudiger on the left of Tuchel’s back three. The Dutch international is also versatile, playing naturally as a centre-back, left-back or defensive midfielder, which could also appeal.

Jules Kounde – Sevilla

Kounde has been a target for Chelsea for a year now

French defender Kounde has been heavily linked with Chelsea for more than 12 months now, although speculation seems to have cooled of late. The centre-back looked almost certain to join the Blues last summer, and again looked close to doing so in January, but Chelsea now reportedly face competition from Barcelona. Sevilla director of football Monchi has mentioned the London club in relation to the player, though, claiming that he is aware that they are looking for two central defenders and that ‘interest has come from England and other countries’.

Whatever happens over the next two months, it is likely that the Chelsea side that line up against Everton for their first game of next season will look very different to the one that finished the last campaign. Reinforcements are certainly needed in defence, and the German will likely be tempted to add to his options up front, especially if Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech depart.