Chelsea’s website currently has 46 player profiles listed for their senior squad and soon there should be another addition. That is Pep Chavarria, a 28-year-old Spaniard whom you may not be familiar with.
Chavarria has a nice backstory. He was still slogging away in Spain’s second division until the age of 24. A late bloomer, the left back made the step up to La Liga with Andoni Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano. He frustrated Xabi Alonso last season – in a good way – starring in a 0-0 draw against Real Madrid.
Now he is set for Chelsea and the Premier League and to compete with Jorrel Hato on Alonso’s left-hand side once his transfer from Vallecano – for £16.3million plus £1.7million in add-ons – is confirmed.
Sources within Chelsea are not categorically ruling out further arrivals at Stamford Bridge this summer, though internally, the majority of the focus will now turn to sales in the build-up to September.
A ticking clock is unlikely to spark panic stations within Chelsea. They have been here before. This is what they do. They trade to the very end, submitting deal sheets to the Premier League if necessary to buy them an extra two hours to complete paperwork. While routinely ridiculed for spending significantly, it can be overlooked that they are also good sellers. As good as anyone in football.
We can have our opinions on the incomings, the hits and the misses, but they are up there with the Premier League’s slickest salesmen in terms of outgoings. Keeping hold of core players while swiftly selling those considered surplus is at the heart of the Chelsea operation. They will not let you near the Lamborghini, but will allow you to take the Volvo for a spin before you buy if need be.
Chelsea have 46 players listed as senior squad members on their club website – but club insiders aren’t ruling out further additions
Experienced striker Danny Welbeck is one of the fresh faces to arrive at Cobham this summer
He will soon by joined by Rayo Vallecano left back Pep Chavarria (pictured with former boss Andoni Iraola)
Alejandro Garnacho had a subpar season, and yet he is now on loan at Aston Villa. That fee, plus the value of his permanent sale via an achievable clause, means Chelsea stand to make a minor profit on their original £40million investment in the 22-year-old.
Renato Veiga was signed by Chelsea for £10.3million and, combining the £4.7million loan fee from Juventus and his £25.3million sale to Villarreal, they are in line to make almost £20million on the Portuguese. Which is not bad for a player who has appeared in just seven league games for the club.
The same could be said for Joao Felix and the loan fee received from AC Milan and his sale to Al-Nassr. And that is only to name a few examples of Chelsea getting their money back, if not more.
Occasional losses on individuals are inevitable, though Chelsea now need to try to repeat those aforementioned achievements in what remains of this window, again, and again, and again.
Xabi Alonso named 21 substitutes in Chelsea’s last friendly, a 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong. That was without Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, who were both sidelined by small issues, or those left off the tour of Australia and Asia, such as Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Marc Guiu, David Datro Fofana and Caleb Wiley, or those yet to return from representing their countries at the World Cup, like Enzo Fernandez, Reece James, Jordan Henderson, Maxence Lacroix, Valentin Barco, Malo Gusto or Morgan Rogers.
No European football for next season means Chelsea cannot afford to have such a crowded changing room, for the harmony and the financials, and so there are plenty of players available for sale or loan.
The next month will tell us whether Chelsea are ready to rise to the challenge again, though it might be misleading to tag this as a ‘fire sale’. That suggests assets for sale at deeply discounted prices, whereas those within Stamford Bridge tend to try to stick to the valuations they set.
Among the asking prices we have had stood up, they want £120million for Fernandez, £75million for Gusto, and £65million for Nicolas Jackson. They would seek more than the £30million they spent on Liam Delap if he is to be sold permanently this summer. Delap would not be the first player, nor the last, to be moved on after a single season if so. Chelsea, as mentioned, are swift.
Xabi Alonso named 21 substitutes in Chelsea’s last friendly, a 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong, despite being without many players
Chelsea want more for Enzo Fernandez than the £117million they paid for Rogers this summer
But Joao Pedro is believed to be in line for a new deal after Barcelona were told he is ‘untouchable’ in this window
Pedro Neto’s valuation is not yet publicly known amid interest from several sides including Manchester City, but Chelsea believe wingers are hot property in this window. They have noted how Real Madrid are spending up to £120million to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, for example. It would take a significant fee to convince Chelsea to sell Neto, who remains highly rated internally.
Fernandez is a special case after such a noisy summer. City and Real Madrid have continued to be linked to the Argentinian, though we have not yet heard of an official approach being made to open club-to-club negotiations. If that happens, any suitors will be told by Chelsea that they want more for Fernandez than the £117million they paid for Rogers this summer.
Fernandez is scheduled to return to Cobham soon after his World Cup break, and presumably that will coincide with talks between the club, the player and his representative, Javier Pastore.
Joao Pedro is believed to be in line for a new deal after Barcelona were told he is ‘untouchable’ in this window, and while names have not been provided, he is not the only one expected to commit himself to Chelsea in the near future. We suspect Levi Colwill will be another.
Jackson is among their more sellable strikers. He is liked by Villa, who have a healthy relationship with his club. We also heard how Tottenham asked about his situation after their pre-season friendly with Chelsea in Sydney as they assess striker options. Spurs claim they are not expected to explore a move. Others abroad admire Jackson, too. His situation is one to watch in these coming weeks.
Clearly, Chelsea still have work to do in this window, it never being a dull day around Cobham or Stamford Bridge. Let the selling and loaning commence.
