In stark contrast to most seasons, Chelsea seems to be getting things done early in the summer. All the pieces for next season are falling into place.
It is rare even for a club like Chelsea to have so many balls in the air at once. The club’s best player for the last seven years has left, the manager will be leaving shortly, the transfer ban remains, and several key players are injured.
But in stark contrast to most seasons, Chelsea is getting things done early in the summer rather than later. Slowly but surely, the pieces for next season are falling into place one at a time.
First there is the not so small matter of Eden Hazard. It was well known that he was surely leaving at some point this summer. It was also heavily reported that Chelsea would not bend from their valuation. This was a saga that could have dragged on all summer and become very messy along the way. Thankfully, it has been wrapped up quickly and that is one less thing to worry about.
Of course, Chelsea cannot replace Hazard right away because of the transfer ban. An appeal on the ban has been made but a request to freeze it for this window has not. By all accounts, the Blues seem prepared to accept it for this summer and hope it is reduced overall.
That is where the loan army and academy players come in. Players such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, and Reece James all seem to be preparing to preseason with the Blues at the very least. James was injured in the Toulon Tournament but the injury seems less severe than it first appeared. He will likely return in time for the start of the season at the very least.
But who will be in charge of the team next season? That is still unclear beyond “not Maurizio Sarri”. The Italian’s move to Juventus is perpetually close, but as more details come out, the closer it is. The reports have reached the stage of talking about contract length so the move is likely to be done in the next few days.
One hold up could be Chelsea looking for their next manager. Frank Lampard has had the strongest links but there has been little movement on that front for any of the alleged shortlisted managers.
Part of this could be the imminent arrival of Petr Cech as sporting director. What exactly his role will entail is still a bit of a mystery but the Blues may be waiting on Cech before deciding firmly on the next manager. On some level, Cech’s role will be about the long term strategic vision of the club and the managerial choice will be a big part of that. Whatever his role in the decision for the next manager, it will likely be mostly a formality this time around as the board does the groundwork for him.
At Chelsea, these are the type of moves that are usually rumored in the spring and then drag out all summer before happening on the eve of the season. Not everything is perfect but the Blues do seem to be working quickly to set all the pieces into place for next season sooner rather than later.