It's been a very busy start to Chelsea's transfer window with the departures of N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mateo Kovacic already confirmed and the arrival of Christopher Nkunku announced.
In short, so far it's been pretty successful. The Blues appear set to cutdown their numbers ahead of the start of pre-season with the expectation that transfers for Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kai Havertz will soon be announced. Having spent so much in their first 12 months in charge of the club, Chelsea's hierarchy are set to see in excess of £100million return.
It's another summer of transition for the club as the complexion of the squad is set to dramatically change. The players above enjoyed significant success with Chelsea but were also present for last term's downfall.
As Kovacic described: "It’s been a tough 12 months for everyone and I think we can all agree it hasn’t been to the usual Chelsea standards but I’ve enjoyed my time here in London."
His move to Manchester City will see the Croatian with different ambitions to trying to return the Blues to the top. He is set to challenge for every trophy next term, but despite his suitor, few will feel it is the wrong time for Kovacic's departure. The 28-year-old had just one-year remaining on his deal before making his £30million move, and has struggled for consistency in the last 12 months.
Kovacic said upon completing the transfer: "This is a brilliant move for me, and I cannot wait to get started with City. Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world. The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there.
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"To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer. I still have plenty of learning and developing to do, and I know under Pep’s management I can become a better player, which is really exciting for me.
"My plan now is to rest for a few weeks before coming back to Manchester to prepare for the new season. I want to help this club stay at the top and win more trophies."
While there is little of surprise in the comments, Kovacic's focus is clearly on trophies and the stature of Manchester City. There is a sense that the Blues have reached a point where they are not seen as the pinnacle of final destination in many regards.
In contrast, Nkunku referenced trophies in his first words following his £50million, there was a great deal of emphasis on the 'project'. This has been clear in each of Chelsea's transfers under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
He said: "I think the project was good for me. It is a good project for me to develop myself as a player and a man also. And this is a good city, after all, and for sure I want to improve in football and I want to win trophies and improve myself also. So I think this is a good project for me at this moment. This is a good project, for sure."
The France international's arrival is a statement, and Chelsea have been unafraid to make splashes in the market with deals for the likes of Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk among others, and are set for a significant outlay for Moises Caicedo too. However, there is a sense of development for the moment and ambition to move the club on - a different predicament to what the club have perhaps acknowledged previously.
Chelsea will have a talent cored for Pochettino, but it will be a squad that needs to continue to improve across the board and the Blues' new boss will have to harness that.
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