Inside Chelsea’s non-stop recruitment drive – a spree which is not done yet

Chelsea will remain one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window with the club still open to adding to the signing of winger Pedro Neto and aiming to sell or loan out at least six to seven senior players.

The arrival of Neto could also encourage clubs to make approaches for players like Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke, who Chelsea are not actively trying to sell but would most likely listen to offers for.

Sterling earns in excess of £300,000 a week at Chelsea and has shown no desire to leave, but that has not stopped Italian reports suggesting Juventus are watching his situation.

The signings of Neto and striker Samu Omorodion will take Chelsea’s incoming transfer business for the summer into double figures, although some of those players have remained at their clubs for this season or will head out on loan.

Chelsea had originally targeted the signing of a right-footed winger and bid for Michael Olise. But left-footed Neto can play on the left or the right and as a number 10, which fits the club’s approach to the summer window of signing versatile players, who are referred to internally as “Swiss army knives”.

There was considerable pleasure taken from the fact that Chelsea managed to work on the signing of Neto for almost two months without their interest in the player being made public until a deal had already been agreed with Wolverhampton Wanderers and the player. Neto has signed a six-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.

Despite the incomings to date, Chelsea have not ruled out adding at least one more player to their squad before the end of the month and are prepared to play a waiting game over Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, whom they would like to sign on a season-long loan.

Similarly, Chelsea remain ready to react to the market should a place in head coach Enzo Maresca’s squad be freed up by an exit or an opportunity present itself as a result of moves elsewhere.

The main focus for now, however, revolves around cutting the size of the first-team squad, with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart said to be working 16-hour days to try to get through all the necessary work.

Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja are free to leave Chelsea and are training with the club’s development squad while their departures are negotiated. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are among the club’s interested in Chalobah, while Broja has interest from the Premier League and Spain.

Chalobah has been barred from using any of the first-team facilities since Chelsea’s return from the pre-season tour of the United States, which he was not taken on. The club recognise the situations of him and Broja will surprise supporters, but believe it is better for them to concentrate on their futures rather than giving a false impression of their prospects.

Shifting Lukaku permanently a priority

Romelu Lukaku is also training away from Maresca’s first-team squad after Chelsea informed Napoli that they want his £37.8 million buy-out clause met and currently do not want to send him on another loan. It remains to be seen whether that stance will have to change.

David Datro Fofana will move, with Leicester City interested in the striker, while midfielder Cesare Casadei, who spent half of last season on loan at Leicester, can leave Stamford Bridge.

Goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga, who could return on loan to Real Madrid, and Djordje Petrovic, who could join Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg and has interested Fiorentina, will depart following the arrival of Filip Jorgensen.

Chelsea moved quickly to sign Petrovic for an initial £12.5 million at the end of last summer’s transfer window after agreeing to send Kepa on loan to Real. Petrovic made 31 appearances in all competitions, enhancing his own career prospects and his value in the market.

Carney Chukwuemeka, who has been linked with Barcelona and AC Milan, may well be the subject of bids. Seen as a number eight or a number 10 in Maresca’s system, the 20-year-old would face a considerable challenge with the likes of Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ahead of him.

Lesley Ugochukwu is expected to go on loan and there is the possibility that 18-year-old Marc Guiu, who arrived from Barcelona this summer, or even 20-year-old Omorodion, will head out on loan this season depending on whether Chelsea land Osimhen or another frontman.

A number of younger players will also leave on loan and Chelsea are hopeful that the size of the squad will be far more manageable for Maresca come the end of the transfer window.

Maresca is facing some tough decisions as Chelsea prepare for the start of the Premier League season. Neto’s arrival means the club have four first-team wingers, unless one of them leaves, and Palmer and Nkunku, who like to play as a number 10.

There is also the issue of Ben Chilwell, whom the Italian has admitted does not fit his profile of full-back, which means some high-profile players could not only miss out on a place in Maresca’s team, but could struggle to make the match-day squad.

Chelsea’s owners are said to recognise that the style-change under Maresca will need time and that there is no need to panic the three defeats in pre-season, ahead of Sunday’s final warm-up game against Inter Milan.

Indeed, it is understood that Maresca was assured before the tour to the United States that Chelsea were not concerned about the prospect of losing pre-season games while he prepared the squad and experimented with different ideas.