Having added three defenders at the cost of £165.8million, it would be easy to believe that Chelsea would hope not to add more players to their backline. Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella all arrived for significant fees, following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, to join a cohort that includes Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah in addition to Cesarr Azpilicueta, Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
However, the Blues failed in their attempts to land another defender capable in the centre of defence in Josko Gvardiol. The RB Leipzig defender has become increasingly prominent as the World Cup has continued due to a series of performances that belie the 20-year-old's tender age.
National coach Zlatko Dalic has even went so far as to label the youngster the 'best central defender in the world' during the tournament. The Croatian coach added: “He is so strong, confident and elegant at the same time, and does everything with incredible ease.”
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Indeed, if Gvardiol's form continues to draw interest from the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid, the Blues may be tempted to make a move once again. Interest remains in the Dinamo Zagreb youth product, with Chelsea only admitting defeat in the final hours of the summer transfer window as Leipzig had no interest in selling their defender for a fee below their asking price. That figure is believed to have been in excess of £70million. Somewhat inevitably, Gvardiol signed a new deal, committing him to the Bundesliga team until 2027.
Returning to make a second attempt at landing Gvardiol is unlikely to come cheap, or without successful competition, though there is the suggestion of a £43million release clause coming into play as part of his contract. A tempting proposition for many, and a situation where a team could hope to pounce early in the hope of persuading Leipzig before rivals arrive.
With the influx of defensive talent during the summer, some may be surprised that Todd Boehly hoped for one more. However, Thiago Silva's Chelsea future remains uncertain, Azpilicueta's contract extension seems to simply fill a hole for the time being and Koulibaly is already 31 - the future does not seem far away.
One option is Levi Colwill, currently on loan at Brighton and expected to have a big future at Stamford Bridge. The former Huddersfield Town loanee perhaps fulfils similar criteria to Gvardiol at just 19- and also being a left-footed central defender. It would be easy to suggest that Colwill could be deterred from believing a pathway awaits in west London should the Blues invest so heavily.
However, given the Blues' injuries this term it is easy to see why a team may want to be well-stocked in the position. If successful a group of Trevoh Chalobah, Wesly Fofana, Levi Colwill and Josko Gvardiol may not be a selection to turn your nose up to.
While there have been hints Graham Potter will look to move to a back four, utilising three central defenders has proved crucial to Chelsea' defence in recent times. In the summer, Colwill trained at the heart of a back three indicating that there could also be a role for Gvardiol and the Cobham product in the same team should they continue to progress. Ultimately, Chelsea's young stars with first-team aspirations have been encouraged to see their future at the club, even when heading out on loan.
Nevertheless, Boehly made no secret of his plans to invest in the club at all levels. It was a point he made in the immediate aftermath of the takeover. The American said "Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the Club for the long term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success."
Already Chelsea have seen the benefit of adding the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka. Though Gvardiol would come at a significantly greater cost, it would be in keeping with Chelsea's transfers under the new ownership. Few players would fit the vision of acquiring the best talent and building for the long term.
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