n8rngtd.topChelsea are set to welcome two more new signings, with Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro poised to join Enzo Maresca’s side from Borussia Dortmund and Brighton respectively, but this £100m-plus double deal means that outgoings simply have to be sorted out sooner rather than later.
Chelsea offered £337k-per-week ex-Aston Villa star with decision made
They once came close to signing him.
By
Emilio Galantini
The Blues were given an almighty boost when their fourth total bid for Gittens was accepted by Dortmund, and the Englishman will now undergo a medical after Chelsea finally shook hands on a £55 million deal with the Bundesliga side.
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Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Cole Palmer |
7.33 |
|
Moises Caicedo |
7.02 |
|
Enzo Fernández |
6.95 |
|
Nicolas Jackson |
6.88 |
|
Noni Madueke |
6.82 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
Chelsea will also add another new striker to their ranks after their £30 million move for Liam Delap, with Pedro sealing a switch to west London for an initial £55 million, which may rise to £60 million if certain add-ons are met (Fabrizio Romano).
The moves take BlueCo’s total outlay for the window to around £140 million at least, and they now face some pressure from UEFA after allegedly breaking their financial fair play rules.
Chelsea and Aston Villa are apparently facing UEFA FFP breaches, with clubs required to limit spending on wages and transfer fees to around 80 per cent of revenue. They’re also permitted a loss of around £77 million over three years, less than the PSR threshold of around £105 million in that same timeframe, and this has sparked additional pressure on Chelsea’s recruitment team to raise money.
Maresca’s side are set to be fined this week as they attempt to reach a settlement, according to the i paper, so Chelsea may need an influx of cash from player sales to help balance the books.
Europe’s financial regulations are generally tighter than England’s, and they’re under more pressure in that regard, as Chelsea’s £200m sale of the women’s team to a separate company, Blueco 22 Midco Ltd, has not been permitted as a viable source of revenue by UEFA for 24/25 – despite being allowed by the Premier League.
Christopher Nkunku pushing to leave Chelsea
Even when taking into account the financial side of things, this influx of new attackers has also left Maresca awashed with too many final-third options, so the squad needs to be balanced out with key exit deals.
According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, £195,000-per-week Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is a prime contender for the Stamford Bridge exit door, and the club will indeed be forced to sell players in the coming weeks.
The Frenchman bagged 14 goals in all competitions last season but ultimately failed to break into Maresca’s starting eleven on a regular-enough basis, and he’s been regularly linked with an exit since January.
Nkunku is “pushing” to leave Chelsea right now as he seeks to embark on the next chapter of his career, as per O’Rourke, and their Premier League rivals have been credited with interest.
Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Nkunku, according to some reports, while the reliable Ben Jacobs reported in May that Tottenham made an enquiry over the 27-year-old’s availability.
While Nkunku has struggled to fit into a highly competitive squad, he has largely chipped in when required, and the former RB Leipzig sensation’s current teammates rate him very highly.
“Yeah, he’s a top player, we all know his quality, how he is as a player,” said João Félix last season.
“We already saw him doing amazing things at Leipzig. And yeah, I like to play with him. I think we think the game kind of like the same way. So I think he already know what I’m going to do, and I know what he’s going to do. I think it’s pretty easy to play with him. I think we connect very well.”