With a couple of weeks left in this summer transfer window, Chelsea still have a lot of work to do. As the uninspiring matchday one draw against Crystal Palace showed, this is far from the finished article. The Club World Cup campaign had convinced many people that the Blues were ready to challenge for the Premier League title but that might not be the case after all.
In the game against Crystal Palace, we saw a lot of the same issues that we have against low-block teams in the past. Cole Palmer is not being involved enough, a number of players seem not quite there yet on the Premier League level and when the chances did fall their way, they fluffed their lines.
Bringing in someone like Xavi Simons could add a bit of creativity and ingenuity to this Chelsea team. But that moves appears to depend on Christopher Nkunku's departure.
As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich and Nkunku have reached a full verbal agreement. Personal terms are 100% agreed, as the player wants to join the Bundesliga giants. However, Chelsea still want a permanent deal, as previously reported, while the Bavarians are considering a loan. There is no agreement on the structure of the deal yet after new negotiations over the weekend. Further talks between the clubs are expected, but it’s very difficult.
Chelsea player agrees personal terms with European giants
It remains to be seen if Nkunku's move away from Chelsea ends up materialising or not. For the moment, it appears that Bayern Munich want him on a loan deal while the Blues want a permanent exit.
There have been some outlets that have suggested that the talks between the two clubs are on the verge of a collapse. And with time running out in the summer transfer window, Chelsea need to find a new home for Nkunku soon, if they want to complete a deal for Simons.
On the other hand, Jamie Gittens' opening day performances would not have filled the fans with confidence either. Perhaps it showed the importance of bringing in a Premier League-ready winger like Alejandro Garnacho, while the former Borussia Dortmund man adjusts to the English top flight.
All that being said, it might be a mistake to worry too much about Chelsea's display. It is worth remembering that Crystal Palace are a solid team with wins over Manchester City and Liverpool recently, and the Blues also had a two-game preseason owing to their deep Club World Cup run.