New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has reportedly pledged a minimum of £200million to Thomas Tuchel in the transfer market this summer.
The American completed his takeover of the Blues last month to become Roman Abramovich’s successor at Stamford Bridge. Despite being in charge for under a month, Boehly has already made his presence felt in West London.
He has completely reshuffled the boardroom with Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia set to leave the club in the immediate future, whilst plans are also in place for major additions to the playing squad. Signing a centre-back is at the forefront of Chelsea's plans following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
To that end, The Telegraph reports Boehly has promised a minimum of £200m for Tuchel to spend in the summer window as the German aims to keep Chelsea challenging for honours. It is detailed that six new signings have been planned by the club’s new owners.
Sevilla star Jules Kounde remains a viable option for the Blues, who have been tracking him since last summer, whilst Matthijs de Ligt could also be an option having expressed an interest in moving to the Premier League.
Elsewhere, right-back is also a position that could be strengthened, with Lens man Jonathan Claus having been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over recent weeks. Chelsea’s attack could also strengthened as club-record signing Romelu Lukaku is on the verge of a loan return to Inter Milan, leaving a vacancy up top.
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Gabriel Jesus is a name that has been mentioned, whilst compatriot Richarlison is another candidate. Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele are potential additions for wide positions.
Whilst Boehly is promising £200m for Tuchel this summer, that amount could increase with any funds that the Blues generate from sales going straight into the transfer war chest.
Despite that, the American businessman has previously appealed for caution in the market, with financial rules potentially limiting the spending power of clubs. Speaking last month at the SuperReturn International Conference in Berlin, Boehly said: “Financial fair play is starting to get some teeth and that will limit ability to acquire players at any price.
“UEFA takes it seriously and will continue to take it seriously. [More teeth] means financial penalties and disqualification from sporting competitions.”
Meanwhile, Tuchel hinted at the back-end of the 2021/22 season that Chelsea needed to invest once the government sanctions imposed on Abramovich were lifted. He said: “If you look at the last year we have only been in the top three, this is very good, and there is always room for improvement. The level of consistency from City and Liverpool was too much for us, it was too high.
“It will not get easier to close this gap, because while we are forced to be passive they are improving their squads. But this is the challenge, and we need to be fast and smart when it’s possible to have a competitive team.”
