It was Malang Sarr who set the tone for Chelsea's evening training session at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. The French defender wandered through the small crowd of supporters that had amassed outside the ground and headed straight for the portable speaker in the outdoor medical area.
His choice of song? Gunna - Oh Okay ft. Young Thug & Lil Baby. The bass echoed around the UCLA campus and as the remainder of the Chelsea squad joined Sarr for pre-training stretches and massages, a certain lyric stood out as. It was one that encapsulates the last 24 hours at Chelsea.
"I got some cash, I wanna spend it."
READ MORE: When Raheem Sterling is expected to join Chelsea's pre-season tour confirmed ahead of £55m move
Chelsea's work in the transfer window this summer – which is being led by new co-owner Todd Boehly – has been a slow burn. Targets were pursued but with the exception of Raheem Sterling, little progress was made in bolstering Thomas Tuchel's playing squad. That has now changed.
A move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is progressing at pace. Personal terms have been agreed upon with the Senegal captain, who is enticed by a switch to Stamford Bridge at the age of 31 years old, and an initial proposal has been sent to the Serie A side by Chelsea. A deal is expected to be struck soon.
Efforts continue, meanwhile, to bring Nathan Ake back to west London. The Netherlands international is keen to leave Man City this summer in search of more playing time and the Blues are confident a deal worth around £40million can be wrapped in the week ahead. The fee for Ake is expected to be higher than that of Koulibaly.
Signings are anticipated to spark exits: Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso remain keen on transfers to Barcelona, who are willing to offer the Spanish duo improved terms and longer contracts. It's understood Tuchel would like Azpilicueta to stay at Stamford Bridge with his experience and professionalism invaluable. However, he will not stand in the way of the 31-year-old if replacements are signed.
The constant transfer speculation is playing out amid the backdrop of Chelsea's pre-season tour. The players are being pushed hard by Tuchel and his coaching staff with double sessions: one in the morning and another in the late afternoon. And they are paying off with every member of the 29-man squad looking lean and training hard.
Yesterday evening's session, which was pushed back to 6pm to escape the LA sun, was a lighter one. Not every player was involved with Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Harvey Vale instead being worked on by the physio team. There is no reason for concern, however, with that trio having trained earlier in the day.
In addition to the travelling media, there were a handful of invited guests on hand to watch Tuchel put his players through a variety of drills. It all started with light a jog around the pitch, although that proved more hazardous than expected when one of the sprinklers turned on and fired water straight into poor Michy Batshuayi.
As the session progressed, shadows stretched across the Drake Stadium pitch; it is somewhat ironic that the temperature in Los Angeles this week is lower than in London. Various possession drills took place and became increasingly competitive: Kepa Arrizabalaga managed to momentarily anger Timo Werner due to his hesitancy to play a pass while Conor Gallagher was buzzing around the zone marked out.
Fellow returning loanees Levi Colwill, Billy Gilmour, Ethan Ampadu and Tino Anjorin all looked at home throughout the session and they will be hoping for opportunities to impress in the friendlies to come against Club America, Charlotte FC and Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Tuchel cut a relaxed figure throughout the session. He predominantly stood back and let his assistants, Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, oversee proceedings. The Chelsea head coach even made time to have a quick chat with the young ballboy on hand. It was a nice touch.
The Blues squad is set to be bolstered by the arrival of Raheem Sterling in the coming 24 hours. The England international's switch to Chelsea from Man City is all but complete and he is expected to begin training with his new teammates by Thursday at the latest. His first outing may come against Club America in Las Vegas on Saturday.
More signings will follow; it's simply a case of when rather than if. Boehly is believed to have flown out to the U.S. but, as highlighted by the Koulibaly deal, is still working hard to give Tuchel the additions he wants – and arguably needs – with the 2022/23 Premier League campaign very much on the horizon.
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