Negotiations always get messy in those years when the transfer deadline coincides with matches being played.
But that is just one of the problems facing the new Chelsea board as they look to get to where they want to be by the close of the summer window as Thomas Tuchel's side head to Southampton for a Premier League fixture.
Ticklish other considerations are slowing talks in a number of directions and the loss of experienced transfer window campaigners from the Roman Abramovich era could be sorely felt. Mirror Sport has rounded up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge.
Aubameyang rumbles on
The suggestion of a return to the Premier League for former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has rumbled along for most of the summer. Chelsea are still playing brinkmanship with financially-crippled Barcelona and their £15m bid remains £10m less than the asking price. However, Football London are reporting that Chelsea’s willingness to move to £22m should be enough to trigger an agreement.
At the same time, thoughts of Marco Alonso moving in the opposite direction are clouding the move - although Barcelona want to keep that option as a separate piece of business. More worrying is that personal terms that were sorted “two weeks ago” according to Fabrizio Romano but may still contain a discrepancy over length of contract. Aubameyang is desperate for a three-year deal, according to Sportskeeda, but Chelsea are reluctant to break their policy of handing out such long contracts to players in their thirties. A lot rests on a meeting between representatives of the 33-year-old and Chelsea planned for later today.
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Palace winger on radar
Wilfried Zaha has emerged as another more experienced player on Tuchel’s radar who would be able to hit the floor running. The re-emergence of Arsenal and Tottenham - and whatever form Manchester United can muster - makes competition for Champions League places tougher than ever this season and unlike their last big transfer investment two years ago, Chelsea want established Premier League talent.
Trouble is, so does everybody else and a close battle with Arsenal means somebody will be left empty-handed. Nevertheless, The Independent claim Chelsea are willing to chance their arm after the Done Deal Show reported Arsenal’s interest last week.
Gordon hopes diminishing
Nowhere is the clock ticking louder though than on Anthony Gordon’s hopes of getting his move from Everton. Every hour the 21-year-old remains at Goodison Park the odds reduce on Chelsea forcing a move and increasingly it seems their former manager Frank Lampard will be backed in thwarting Chelsea in their recruitment plans. This comes despite suggestions in the Daily Mail that the Merseyside club are eyeing up a move for Leeds’ Dan James.
