Chelsea made three quick signings this summer, bringing in Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens. The first two played a part in the club's Club World Cup triumph with the Brazilian being particularly impressive, scoring a brace in the semi-final against Fluminense and once in the final against PSG.
Since then, Chelsea have remained active in the transfer market. But most of their energy seems to be focused on engineering exits for the club's players, whether it be on loan or on a permanent basis.
We now know the next Chelsea player who is headed for the Stamford Bridge exit door. It is their highly rated goalkeeper, Mike Penders. The 19-year-old has drawn comparisons with Thibaut Courtois and the Blues will want to see his development go smoothly.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Penders will join Strasbourg on loan. The deal is done and set to be sealed. The agreement is in place for next season, while Chelsea view him as a top talent for the future.
'Done deal' - Fabrizio Romano confirms another Chelsea transfer
Penders is considered one of the best young goalkeepers in world football. Even at this age, he made 25 senior appearances for Genk before joining Chelsea.
Is Penders the reason Chelsea are reluctant to go out and sign a long-term goalkeeper? That is very possible. Many will remember the situation they had on their hands with Courtois and Petr Cech.
Cech ended up having to leave earlier than expected because Courtois was being moulded as the long-term number one. But then, the Belgian decided to leave just a few years later to join Real Madrid. The Blues have not been able to fill that void since then.
Of course, Penders has a lot to prove at the senior level before he can be considered good enough to start for Chelsea. Showing his quality at Strasbourg would be a great first step.