Edson Alvarez and Rafael Leao sign

Edson Alvarez and Rafael Leao sign - Todd Boehly's best and worst Chelsea transfer deadline day

Deadline day has finally arrived and it appears Chelsea are still looking to add to their summer of spending. Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka and Wesley Fofana have already been added to the first team group, with a series of signings for the development squad also made.

In the opposite direction, Ross Barkley has seen his deal cancelled, Romelu Lukaku has gone on loan to Inter Milan and Callum Hudson-Odoi to Bayer Leverkusen. The Blues have even earned some money through the sale of Timo Werner, as the German forward returned to RB Leipzig.

It's been an expensive first summer for Todd Boehly and co with the new Chelsea owner and interim sporting director having already spent in excess of £200million to help Thomas Tuchel's side this season. If the day goes well, that business is unlikely to be finished yet.

football.london takes a look at the best and worst-case scenarios that could lie in wait.

Best case

Chelsea are set for a hectic day ahead and still hope to add a midfielder, a winger and possibly a number 9 to their ranks and for anyone watching the defeat to Southampton, like Boehly did, it would be easy to understand why. With a series of midfield players struggling through injury, the requirement of somebody to bolster the midfield for the future has been brought to the forefront of everyone's minds.

While Declan Rice would be the dream but Chelsea have already submitted a £43million bid for Ajax's Edson Alvarez, so get that over the line quickly, despite the Dutch side being unable to replace the 24-year-old due to the Eredivisie window closing yesterday would be a fine piece of business.

Next, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has long been linked with a return to London with discussions ongoing between the clubs. Outside of Armando Broja, the Blues lack an out-and-out striker and that is a role the former Arsenal star could fulfil. His move has been complicated by a jaw injury sustained during an assault in his last week, but a short-term deal or loan could provide a solid solution. In an ideal scenario, the former Gabon international's arrival facilitating the departure of Marcos Alonso to Barcelona would work very nicely.

A late, albeit expensive move for AC Milan star Rafael Leao could certainly add some spice to the final day, with Jorge Mendes having offered the winger to the Blues. The 23-year-old would add a great deal of pace and trickery to Thomas Tuchel's forward line.

Perhaps, just as important would be facilitating moves for unwanted players. The likes of Billy Gilmour and Ethan Ampadu appear to have little chance of making Tuchel's first team, while Kenedy and Michy Batshuayi are yet to be involved in the set-up at all.

Worst case

Inactivity and failure would be among the worst the Blues can hope for on the final day of the window. The idea of losing someone like Reece James, is unfathomable and unrealistic.

To head out the ambition of bolstering three areas and coming up fruitless would certainly be a disappointment, even with the transfers Chelsea have already completed. Not trimming down the squad by selling Kenedy and Batshuayi would also be frustrating, and if the club were unable to get anymore talented youngsters out on loan, could leave the development squad oversubscribed.

Singing Cristiano Ronaldo, regardless of the merits he has as a player would be a sign things are going wrong. Tuchel has been firm that he does not want the legendary forward, while any move could aid Manchester United chances of funding another player. Perhaps, more worryingly than that, there would be discord at Stamford Bridge or perhaps a hint of desperation.

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