Delap? Sesko? Garnacho? Chelsea’s summer transfer options

Everyone at Chelsea is aware that a lack of quality finishing and therefore goals is stopping the team from taking the next step.

Chelsea have missed 79 big chances this season, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Last summer, they looked to sign a striker but could not get a deal over the line for then-Napoli forward Victor Osimhen because of his wage demands on deadline day.

The rest of the options on the market were not considered good enough to add to what existing forward Nicolas Jackson could offer.

After a fast start to the season, Jackson has had a difficult 2025, missing two months with injury and Sunday’s red card meaning his campaign is ending early.

Ten goals in 30 league games is underwhelming, but sources at the club say they remain happy with the £31m deal that brought him in from Villarreal.

Nevertheless, Chelsea feel having another goalscorer would have been enough to have already qualified Enzo Maresca’s side for next season’s Champions League.

Instead, they go into the final two Premier League matches – starting with Manchester United on Friday evening – with qualification into the riches of Europe’s competition in jeopardy.

The key question is which striker Chelsea will sign.

It is a challenge Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United are all facing this summer too.

None of Sporting’s Victor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich’s Liam Delap, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike or even Napoli’s Victor Osimhen have been ruled out and all are considered quality options by the west London club.

Each one is being explored with pros, cons and likely competition being weighed up.

In Delap’s case, for example, he will be available for his £30m relegation release clause, which is a tantalising opportunity and one that has also attracted United to the race.

Osimhen and Gyokeres are both thought to be available for about £60m – but will command high wages.

Sesko and Gyokeres are also on the radar of new Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta. Liverpool, with Darwin Nunez likely to leave, as well as Champions League finalists Paris St-Germain are both expected to bring in a striker too.

Forwards:

After a striker, Chelsea’s next priority is a right-footed left winger.

They are known to have expressed an interest in both Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens in January, but no offers were made.

They remain admirers of both players and have been tipped to make a move for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers – another option they like – but having signed a new contract in November, he may not be available unless the squeeze of Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules on Aston Villa’s high wage bill make it happen.

There is also the question of what is happening with both Jadon Sancho and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Chelsea insist a decision on Sancho will come at the end-of-season summit, with the club obligated to buy him for between £20m and £25m but with a £5m penalty clause available to avoid doing the deal.

Mudryk, meanwhile, remains provisionally banned from playing football after testing positive for a banned substance.

Defence:

Chelsea are also looking into signing a central defender and are known to be among the five clubs interested in Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen.

Real Madrid are reported to be Huijsen’s favoured option but there are questions over whether they will pay the £50m release clause.

They also admire Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who enters the last year of his contract this summer, but are cautious as they look at physical options to complement current players and compete with the injury prone but high-performing Wesley Fofana.

The Blues are not guaranteed to bring in a defender, having already signed Mamadou Sarr, 19, from partner club RC Strasbourg.

Experience:

There is an acceptance within the club that Chelsea’s squad lack natural leaders – with only Levi Colwill, still just 22, and potentially Enzo Fernandez, 24, fitting the bill.

Captain Reece James has worked hard to develop that side of his game but is naturally introverted, as is Moises Caicedo.

Youth:

Although Chelsea have trended towards younger signings, older players at a world-class level, with potential to add to the squad in other ways, will also be considered.

Coach Enzo Maresca said earlier this month that the club will “for sure” look to bring in experienced players “to close the gap” with champions Liverpool.

Chelsea have already signed a host of young players, including winger Estevao Willian for £29m, attacking midfielder Kendry Paez for £17m, goalkeeper Mike Penders for £17m and defensive midfielder Dario Essugo for £18.5m, for fees totalling over £150m.

Willian will come into the first-team squad after the Club World Cup, in which he will play for Palmeiras. Paez could go out on loan, Penders could either come into the squad or go on loan, and Essugo is seen as a back-up option for Caicedo.

Midfielder Andrey Santos is also expected to be recalled from his loan spell at Strasbourg to compete in midfield with Romeo Lavia and Fernandez.

Goalkeepers:

Many supporters are clamouring for a new goalkeeper this summer, with Robert Sanchez making five mistakes leading to goals, the joint-highest total in the Premier League.

Chelsea have been planning for the summer window since September but will again evaluate the season after the Conference League final.

That final and possible Champions League qualification will be instructive in terms of their approach to contract renewals and player sales.

Sources at Stamford Bridge insist they are not concerned by PSR regulations in any outcome. They will receive between £40m and £97m for participating in the Club World Cup.

Famously, Chelsea’s unique approach to amortisation has players collectively under contract for almost 200 years, by far the most in the Premier League. No significant first-team players have deals that expire within three years.

It leaves Chelsea not required to renew contracts despite significant reports of talks being under way to agree a new contract with midfielder Caicedo.

Pay rises could be given to players whose current contract warrants it. The club considered Cole Palmer’s wage too far below the market rate, and opted to extend his contract to 2033 despite him having seven years left on his deal at the time.

Maresca always denies the club has a big squad but the reality is Chelsea have at least two players for every position and three in some places – as well as eight or nine senior players on loan and a very strong academy system running underneath.

So players will be sold to avoid creating unrest when signings in attack and defence are added.

Defender Trevoh Chalobah will be told he will either be a back-up option or can leave, while forward Christopher Nkunku has struggled this season and is attracting interest from abroad.

Chelsea are looking to sell a number of current loanees, including Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace), Carney Chukwuemeka (Dortmund, although deemed too expensive by them), Armando Broja (Everton), Axel Disasi (Aston Villa), Kepa Arrizabalga (Bournemouth), Joao Felix (AC Milan), and Renato Veiga (Juventus).

Raheem Sterling, who is at Arsenal, will be asked to find a new club – but his £300,000-a-week wages could result in another loan move, with the wages partly covered by Chelsea.

There are also questions around whether big first-team names could leave.

Caicedo is considered untouchable, despite reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, and is in the same category as Palmer.

The rest could all be sold at the right price but Chelsea typically request high fees even for players they do not want.

There is known interest from Real Madrid in Fernandez, for example, but sources insist they would ask more than the £107m they paid to Benfica in 2023 for the Argentina midfielder.

And then Chelsea continue to sign up the best teenage talent to populate their ‘academy’ sister club, Strasbourg, which play a similar style to Maresca’s first team with a view to some players moving into Chelsea’s squad in one or two years’ time.