In recent times, we have seen the rise of clubs waiting for players to become free agents before making moves for them. It makes sense in the modern game when you consider the kind of transfer fees it takes to bring in fresh faces. Nobody has done that better than Real Madrid, signing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and more when their contracts ran out. Could Chelsea look to adopt that model next?
Chelsea do have their financial constraints, which saw them being handed a UEFA ban recently and also had an effect on their summer transfer window. One would imagine that is one of the reasons they did not push forward to sign Xavi Simons.
So, signing free agents, when possible, would make a ton of sense. And it looks like a couple of elite ones are on their radar.
As reported by TBR Football, Chelsea are looking to take advantage of the free agent market in 2026. Marc Guehi and Mike Maignan are on their radar.
Chelsea want to sign two elite players for free next summer
Chelsea had tried to sign Maignan before the Club World Cup as well but could not find a deal with AC Milan. Now, it looks like they are eyeing him as a free agent next summer, which might be a reason why they did not pursue another goalkeeper after those talks had led nowhere.
On the other hand, Guehi is another player Chelsea had been linked with but did not make a move for. He seemed to be on the verge of joining Liverpool, and while the Reds remain favourites to sign him, the Blues do have time to convince him to make a return to his boyhood club.
Both Maignan and Guehi would bring a lot to the table for Chelsea, especially when it comes to experience. Now, it remains to be seen if the Blues are able to pull those deals off or not.