Rival Premier League signings putting pressure on Chelsea

The first month of this summer’s transfer window has already been extremely lively, especially in the Premier League. Top teams like Manchester United and Liverpool have made strong acquisitions in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, and Ibrahima Konate. Meanwhile, last season’s champion, Manchester City, looks poised to sign both Harry Kane and Jack Grealish. Even Arsenal have splashed some cash on Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White. Chelsea, though, has been relatively quiet.

The Blues added Marcus Bettinelli on a free transfer from Fulham on July 28 to play third-choice keeper behind Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga. The 29-year-old Englishman will have a more influential role than most other reserve goalies this season, as Mendy will likely leave to represent Senegal in the African Cup of Nations between January 9 and February 6. Bettinelli will probably not challenge Arrizabalaga for the starting role during Mendy’s absence, but he will need to be prepared if called upon. Nevertheless, the Blues are starting to lag behind their rivals.

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The pressure is now on Chelsea as its domestic rivals are strengthening.

The team’s lack of activity in the first month of the summer window has been incredibly frustrating for supporters, particularly because Chelsea’s title rivals have made such obvious improvements. Twitter is consistently flooded with rumors about potential new signings, but nothing has been confirmed by any reputable news outlets or the club itself. Erling Haaland, Declan Rice and, more recently Jules Kounde, have been explicitly mentioned as possibilities.

The Kounde deal is particularly fascinating, as its completion hinges on where Kurt Zouma wants to play next season. The Blues have reportedly offered around £25 million plus Zouma for the French starlet who, according to Fabrizio Romano, already agreed to personal terms with the European Champions. Sevilla apparently wants more money to complete the deal, but Zouma’s desire to stay in the English capital may also derail this blockbuster. West Ham is reportedly interested in signing the 26-year-old from its London rivals for £20 million, which is slightly below Chelsea’s asking price. While selling Zouma is a good piece of business in a vacuum, many fans would be extremely unhappy about passing up the opportunity to add a tremendous young talent in Kounde.

With each passing day, the possibility of the Blues acquiring either Haaland or Rice seems a little less likely. The Hammers are holding out on a monster offer of about £80 million for their captain, according to Romano, although these recent Zouma links indicate a player plus cash deal could be in the works. Thomas Tuchel has identified AS Monaco prospect Aurelien Tchouameni as a cut-price alternative to the former Ireland international, and an offer could be made in the near future. Mason Mount might get slightly upset if his best friend does not make the move across town, but signing a younger talent would be beneficial to a Chelsea squad with so many established stars.

A potential Haaland transfer looks like it will simply come down to whether or not Roman Abramovich is willing to finance a massive bid in the region of £128 million. With the Norwegian superstar’s release clause plummeting after next season, Borussia Dortmund cannot say no to an offer of that magnitude and risk missing out on such an incredible economic opportunity. Whether or not this will ever actually happen is anyone’s guess at this point, but surely signing the most coveted player in world football would ameliorate any supporter animosity toward the club.

A restless fanbase is never good for a football team, and this is especially true when it comes to Chelsea. There are a lot of impatient fans on the internet who are convinced that the sky is falling around Stamford Bridge, but they seem to have forgotten that the Blues won the Champions League merely two months ago. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and trust that the board will not let the club fall behind its closest competitors. The signings will come, they just take time.

What do you make of the moves made by Chelsea’s rivals? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!