Chelsea was smart to get its transfer business done early in the window

Chelsea found itself heavily invested in the summer transfer window, even before it began. In the end, this paid off for the Blues.

While rather uneventful—aside from a bunch of rumors—in the closing stages, the summer window was still insanely successful for Chelsea. Those at the club are the only ones who knew the true motivation behind the change in strategy for the year, though it was welcomed from those on the outside looking in. Whether it be because of the transfer ban or simply backing a new manager, the only thing supporters and staff alike care about is results, and the Blues delivered.

Chelsea took a different approach to the transfer window this time around, getting its business done early and in an efficient manner. Sure, the Blues were some of the heftiest spenders across all of Europe, but that’s not the sole reason for their success. Marina Granovskaia and the board worked tirelessly to secure their targets early and often.

They say you learn from past mistakes and Chelsea is the epitome of this concept. In years past, the Blues’ bad business stuck them with the deadwood they are stuck with now. The costly presence of players like Emerson and Danny Drinkwater are constant reminders of deals the club wanted to avoid.

Therefore, the dawn of a new era began back in January. While many fans became fed up with Chelsea for not making any purchases, it was a calculated risk from the club’s officials. Rather than spending copious amounts of cash on mediocre talents to add depth, Frank Lampard suggested focusing the scouts’ efforts on preparing for the future. None of the big names the Blues were after were available in January, at least not for reasonable prices, so they backed off and waited.

This gave the board time to work with the manager to plan for the months ahead. Luckily Lampard was able to secure top four with the team he had at the time, justifying the lack of spending in 2020’s winter window. The signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner before the transfer period even began hinted at something changing around Chelsea, but supporters had no idea just how drastic the differences would be.

While not as exciting, the Blues got all of their business tidied up weeks before the window slammed shut yesterday afternoon. Ziyech, Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr, Edouard Mendy and Kai Havertz made up Chelsea’s transfer window, with the last deal (Mendy) being confirmed almost two weeks ago. The only target the Blues truly missed out on is West Ham’s Declan Rice.

Rice, while not necessarily a pressing need for Lampard’s side, saw his potential transfer fall through because of the Blues’ past mistakes on the transfer front. Chelsea’s inability to sell players like Marcos Alonso, Emerson, Victor Moses, Danny Drinkwater and others—and raise funds for Rice—showed yet again why waiting until the waning days of the window never works. Instead of getting players like Davide Zappacosta, Facundo Pellistri or Joe Rodon, the Blues secured world class superstars like Havertz. The club’s overwhelming success this summer can largely be attributed to its willingness to change its ways and act with prudence.

What did you make of Chelsea’s transfer window? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!