The wait is over. Chelsea finally announced on Monday that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's consortium have completed their takeover of the west London club.
Months of ups and downs in terms of speculation can finally be put behind us as the Blues prepare for a new era after 19 years under Roman Abramovich's ownership. For Chelsea, the main objective going into next season is to try and reduce the gap between themselves and the Premier League's top two, Manchester City and Liverpool.
That's easier said than done, though, and the Blues know that a faultless summer transfer window can go some way in doing just this. Man City and Liverpool's recruitment has been sensational over the last few years, with the clubs rarely missing a beat when signing players.
READ MORE: New Chelsea stadium: Stamford Bridge's future under Todd Boehly and Clearlake following takeover
It seems as if Boehly is more than willing to back Thomas Tuchel in the transfer market in the American owners' first summer at the club. According to a recent report from the Telegraph, Boehly could hand the club as much as £200million to try and improve Tuchel's squad.
Chelsea will be looking to add more depth to their squad with outgoings expected in the coming months. Antonio Rudiger is on his way to Real Madrid, while Andreas Christensen seems to be following his team-mate to La Liga, with Barcelona interested. Likewise, Barca are thought to be keen on signing both Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso this summer.
Ross Barkley could leave the club as he searches for more minutes. Jorginho and N'Golo Kante have just over 12 months remaining on their respective deals and have been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge. After underwhelming personal seasons for the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, the quartet have also been linked with an exit from Chelsea.
Even if a small fraction of the aforementioned players move on from Chelsea, the club are expected to have a busy summer window in terms of recruitment. Below, football.london takes a look at how Tuchel's options could look when the window concludes.
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy is Tuchel's first-choice and there is no sign of that changing in the future. Kepa Arrizabalaga could leave the club, meaning Chelsea could look to sign another shot-stopper. football.london understands that the Blues are expected to rekindle their interest in Chicago Fire teenager Gabriel Slonina.
Defenders: With Rudiger and Christensen set to leave the club, Chelsea need to address the defender situation promptly. Jules Kounde is understood to be the Blues' priority, with the Sevilla defender keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, football.london understands.
Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig continues to be linked. Chelsea are said to be interested in the 20-year-old's signature this summer and could well see the young Croatian as the answer to their problems. Levi Colwill enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Huddersfield Town in the Championship and could be recalled to give Tuchel more depth in his back-three.
Chelsea are interested in signing Marc Cucurella this summer as a back-up for the returning Ben Chilwell, but Brighton's £50m valuation of the Spaniard could put the Blues off. Borna Sosa looks a more viable option for Chelsea.
Midfielders: Kante looks more likely to stay put this summer than the likes of Jorginho and Barkley. Chelsea could look to sell the latter two in order to protect their values somewhat, with their contracts approaching their final years, while they are understood to be keen on extending Kante's stay.
Conor Gallagher is expected to be recalled from his loan spell at Crystal Palace and fight for a place in the Chelsea first-team. The England international can act as a box-to-box goal scoring midfielder - something the Blues missed across the course of the 2021/22 season.
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele remains a big target for Chelsea this summer. football.london has recently been told that his agent, Moussa Sissoko, is well aware of the interest from the Blues and further talks are expected when the window officially opens. Dembele is set to become a free agent at the end of June with his contract at Barcelona due to expire.
Another target for Chelsea is Christopher Nkunku. The RB Leipzig attacker enjoyed a sensational 2021/22 season with the German club and was watched by the Blues on numerous occasions. However, the Frenchman is currently in talks with Leipzig over extending his contract, with just over two years left to run on his deal. Chelsea want to take advantage of the uncertainty, though.
The future of Armando Broja remains uncertain. The Albanian had a good season on loan at Southampton and is now attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League, according to a recent report from Goal.
