Chelsea were hoping the turbulence would slow down after the appointment of Xabi Alonso, but it hasn't. The Blues endured a poor season that saw them sack two managers and miss out on European football altogether.
An ambitious appointment like Alonso was always going to be needed to help get fans back on board, but Enzo Fernandez has disrupted the flow of positivity from the Spaniard's arrival.
Reports claim the midfielder may want out amid interest from Real Madrid, and there is already talk of a £120million asking price. Even with that money, Chelsea would have to find a replacement, and there aren't many available, potentially leading to a bridge signing.
Chelsea should bridge the gap with Leon Goretzka
As far as defensive midfielders go, there simply aren't many available this summer. The best in the world, which include Rodri, Vitinha, Joshua Kimmich and Declan Rice, are all spoken for, and even when you look at the next tier, the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Martin Zubimendi and Joao Neves aren't going to be allowed to leave.
Even armed with a £120million asking price, Chelsea are not going to find it easy to replace Fernandez, and even looking at players like Sandro Tonali, there are complications like Newcastle United already losing a key player for big money in Anthony Gordon this summer.
That points to Chelsea signing a bridge player this summer should Fernandez leave, and the Blues biding their time to next summer, when one of those top players might become available.
The ideal bridge signing is Leon Goretzka, who is somehow available for free this summer after his Bayern Munich contract was allowed to lapse.
The 31-year-old is coming off a season where he made 31 appearances out of 38 Bundesliga games, helping Bayern win another league title. He can still keep up at the top level, also heading to the World Cup with Germany this summer, and even if it's only for a year, Chelsea would be wise to recruit Goretzka to help their midfield cope with the potential loss of Fernandez this summer.
""Outstanding. It shows strength, maturity, but also extreme mentality and clarity of mind. Publicly, he completely kept his mouth shut. Internally, from what we hear, he worked like a madman, and he's highly respected within the team. He stayed calm and fully convinced of his own qualities. He's a machine, huge respect for Leon. Through his exemplary behaviour, he has also sent a signal to Julian Nagelsmann.""Sami Khedira on Leon Goretzka in 2025
The German is a leader, a proven winner and a very good midfielder who has all the characteristics to succeed in the Premier League. He does the dirty work needed for a double pivot - with Moises Caicedo - to thrive, and costing no transfer fee at all, it would be a free gamble. The Blues should act quickly before he is snapped up.
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