We 'signed' Alexander Isak for Chelsea this summer and Enzo Maresca won two trophies

Alexander Isak is one of the most in-demand strikers in world football, but what could happen if the Swedish international made a move to Chelsea this summer?

It's no secret that a striker is on Chelsea's radar this summer, with Enzo Maresca keen to add more attacking options to his side to rival Nicolas Jackson up front. Barcelona striker Marc Guiu is set to sign for Chelsea after the Blues activated the teenager's release clause, but with the Spaniard more of an option for the future, Isak is the man who could make an instant impact.

It was reported that Chelsea would be willing to break their transfer record to bring Isak to Stamford Bridge, with the Swedish striker only being outscored by Cole Palmer (22) and Erling Haaland (27) in the Premier League last season. The Magpies signed Isak from Real Sociedad for £63million just two years ago, so an astronomical fee would be needed to pry the 24-year-old away from St James' Park.

So, if Chelsea could sign Isak this summer, what could happen? Let's take a look.

Chelsea's 2024/25 season simulated with Alexander Isak

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to move Isak to Chelsea in the summer transfer window before simulating the 2024/25 season. This is how the Blues got on with Isak in their ranks.

As expected, Isak became a staple in the Chelsea XI, with the striker a regular starter for Maresca's side. He missed a few games through injury, but he managed to stay fit for the majority of the season, making 48 appearances across all competitions.

In those 48 games, Isak scored 20 goals and grabbed five assists, making him the top scorer at the club. Christopher Nkunku wasn't far behind with 17 goals, while Palmer scored 14 and Nicolas Jackson grabbed 12. His average rating per game was just 7.05 - better than Jackson (6.88), but far behind Palmer (7.49) and Nkunku (7.56)

At the end of the 2024/25 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Chelsea XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:

Full Chelsea best XI: (4-3-3): Petrovic; James, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Isak, Nkunku.

Maresca opted for a 4-3-3 set-up in his first season at the club, with Isak starting as the striker with Palmer and Nkunku on either wing. Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana was the centre-back partnership that worked the best, while Reece James and Ben Chilwell both managed to stay fit all season long.

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Despite injury issues being almost non-existent throughout the 2024/25 season, Chelsea failed to massively improve on the previous campaign, with Maresca finding his first season as a Premier League manager tough. The Blues were among the battle for the Champions League spots all season long, but a poor end to the campaign saw them miss out.

20 wins, five draws, and 13 losses saw Chelsea end the season with 65 points, claiming a sixth-place finish and a spot in the Europa League for the following season. The Blues picked up two more points than last season, but the failure to win any of their final seven games in the league proved costly in their hunt for Champions League football.

Despite the underwhelming Premier League finish, it was actually a successful season for Chelsea as they won two trophies in the simulation. The Blues were incredible in the Europa Conference League, with Alexander Isak scoring as Maresca's side beat Porto 2-0 in the final. A 1-0 win over Newcastle United saw Chelsea win the FA Cup, but their Carabao Cup campaign concluded in the quarter-finals after a 3-2 loss to Liverpool.