You would have had to been living under a rock for the past 12 months to be shocked the trio of Declan Rice, Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni are linked with Chelsea.
All three players to varying extents have been tracked by the west London club for some times and 2022 appears to be the year where that scouting comes to a head.
As Thomas Tuchel hopes to be bolstered by a proactive summer window, the first three targets on Chelsea's summer wishlist should provide a template for the rest of the club's recruitment drive, also taking inspiration from Cobham talent.
Kounde is probably the name closest to actually signing when it appeared in the closing days of the last summer transfer window that Marina Granovskaia had agreed a fee with Sevilla.
The move then derailed when the La Liga club upped their asking price which rattled Chelsea enough to pull away for negotiations.
But it appears that has not deterred the European Champions to come back in for the French defender in 2022.
Tuchel was so confident of a deal going through last year he was reportedly talking to senior Chelsea players of his arrival, as reported by The Athletic.
The admiration Kounde's compatriot Tchouameni tracks back even further as Chelsea scoured Ligue 1 for potential new midfielders.
Even if Chelsea did not get the deal completed last year, he remains a player who has only continued his steep rise in European football as one of its brightest and most dynamic midfielders.
Chelsea still likely feel confident with their previous communication with the player makes a deal appear feasible.
Rice's history with Chelsea is common knowledge. A boyhood talent who came through the club's academy with friend Mason Mount before being let go at the age of 16.
Rice at West Ham has developed into one of the Premier League's outstanding central midfielders and a figure of aggression, drive and athleticism Chelsea's midfield has lacked in recent years.
Although any fee would be steep, Rice is a player who is too good to miss out on, especially when it's an open secret he has supported Chelsea from an early age.
All three players feel consistent and linked in their attributes.
They all are of a brilliant age with their prime years ahead of them. But even still being young, they have all proved standout players in their own team within Europe's top five leagues.
They are versatile. Capable of playing in different positions and formations dependent on the situation. This is extremely helpful for Tuchel, a coach who has a history of flexibility – probably aiming for a squad that can switch between a 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 without dramatic disruption.
They also have proven comfort in possession, something a Chelsea team under Tuchel craves plus great speed and ability to cover more ground.
None of the three are niche talents. Players who have only excelled in a very particular system. A pitfall Chelsea have found when acquiring the likes of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
That consistency in recruitment will be vital when we extrapolate it out to other areas of the pitch where Chelsea will look to boost options.
At a club that proves as short-term and chaotic as Chelsea, signing versatile players should be the priority. Players who are unlikely to become irrelevant after a change of coach or unable to fulfil different requirements.
Cobham talent has proven this in Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah this season.
Capable of shifting positions and filling gaps when Tuchel requires to a competent level, helping to maintain quality.
These are the key traits that must be prioritised on the wishlist.
Make sure you have subscribed to CareFreeChelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews. You can follow Daniel Childs from the CareFreeChelsea team to keep up to date with his work. If you enjoyed reading this then give my other articles a read below.
