The transfer window is officially closed in England now, and it is fair to say that Chelsea have had an interesting summer. They have signed the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buenonotte. That being said, they also did not fill clear needs in the squad at striker and centre-back, due to injuries.
On the other hand, a number of notable names have left the club as well. This includes Noni Madueke, Djordje Petrovic, Joao Felix, Renato Veiga, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and some others. And one more name was added to that list at pretty much the last minute.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Strasbourg have agreed a deal to sign Ben Chilwell on a two-year contract. It has been given the here we go. The medical is done.
Meanwhile, Ishe Samuels-Smith, who joined Strasbourg earlier this summer, has headed to Swansea City on loan. It would be safe to say that there have been quite a few deals between the two BlueCo clubs over this window, even more than usual.
'Here we go' - Fabrizio Romano confirms last-minute Chelsea transfer
It is widely known by now that Chelsea and Strasbourg are owned by the same BlueCo group. Both teams have been involved in a lot of business in the past two seasons.
It is noteworthy that the norm is for rising Chelsea players to go to Strasbourg on loan to get regular game time and improve before returning to Stamford Bridge. So this will be a rare occurrence that an experienced player like Chilwell will head to France.
Chilwell joined Chelsea in 2020 from Leicester City. He has appeared in 107 matches for the Blues and won the Champions League with the club in 2021.
The English left-back spent the second half of last season at Crystal Palace and lifted the FA Cup. Since then, he had returned to Stamford Bridge, but he did not seem to be part of Chelsea’s long-term plans, who already have the likes of Marc Cucurella and Hato for the position. So, a move away is the best step forward for all parties involved.