Chelsea Transfer Window Assessed Ahead of Next Moves | OneFootball

Chelsea transfer window assessed with focus on balance and future

Addressing squad depth

Was this Chelsea transfer window a success or a failure? On balance, it has to be considered a success. The results across the season will provide the definitive verdict, but there is little doubt that many of the pressing concerns have been confronted. The squad looks deeper and more balanced, shaped by both arrivals and exits.

Dario Essugo and Andrey Santos, returning from his loan at Strasbourg, give midfield a fresh dimension. In the wide areas, Chelsea have invested in both promise and profile, with Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho all representing new options. Up front, Joao Pedro has already impressed, while Liam Delap, before his injury, offered a physical edge missing in recent seasons.

Photo: IMAGO

Defensively, Jorrel Hato’s signing from Ajax provides cover for Marc Cucurella. Facundo Buonanotte, arriving on loan from Brighton, offers attacking depth in midfield. Injuries remain a shadow, with Levi Colwill’s ACL setback and Delap’s absence forcing tactical adjustments. The goalkeeping department is still less convincing than at Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City.

Photo: IMAGO

Balancing books and moving on

The other significant development has been Chelsea’s ability to move on players no longer central to the project. Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Carney Chukwuemeka are among those to depart. The more striking detail is that Chelsea generated more from sales than they spent, a reversal of recent patterns and one that helps ease the scrutiny of Premier League and UEFA financial regulations.

Photo IMAGO

This outcome is not simply accountancy. It is the foundation for future windows, where sustainability matters as much as headline names.

Maresca’s perspective

Enzo Maresca, pragmatic as ever, understands the limits of his influence in recruitment. On his arrival he was told his role was to focus on coaching, with transfers driven by the hierarchy. His comments about wanting another defender after Colwill’s pre-season injury were quickly walked back, but his later insistence that he has been “in love with the squad from day one” gives the impression of a coach aware of both the resources and expectations placed upon him.

Photo: IMAGO

There are few managers who would turn down the opportunity to work with the talent at his disposal. Yet the injury to Colwill ensures defensive depth will remain under scrutiny.

Priorities for January

Centre back will remain the position most closely watched. Rather than pursuing another purchase, Chelsea may consider recalling Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg or Aaron Anselmino from Borussia Dortmund. The club have made a habit of investing in young talent and allowing them to mature elsewhere before integrating them fully. That approach is unlikely to change in January, a window where their activity has been historically restrained.

Funds remain available, demonstrated by the €40m bid lodged for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez before the deadline. The fact that Chelsea chose not to press ahead means there is scope to act if necessary. Whether they will do so depends on circumstance rather than impulse.