The strangest aspect of this summer’s transfer window is that Chelsea have avoided the worst decisions as the market nears its conclusion. Quite the opposite has happened. Their work in both recruitment and sales has been so impressive that it has prompted talk of an unexpected title challenge.
Since the BlueCo takeover at Stamford Bridge four years ago, Chelsea have often been associated with naivety, arrogance, poor management and an alarming willingness to be taken advantage of. The £40million deal that brought Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United last summer was perhaps the ultimate example.
Manchester United’s hierarchy, hardly renowned for their own transfer brilliance, must have been delighted to complete that deal. It was an agreement so extravagant that it made Chelsea’s wastefulness look even more extreme. In a Premier League defined by excess, the signing seemed particularly difficult to justify.
I watched Chelsea face Fulham at Craven Cottage on the opening weekend and, although they were not flawless defensively, it was immediately apparent that they could become one of the season’s most entertaining teams. Just as significantly, the mood around the club appeared to have shifted.
Chelsea did pay Aston Villa £117million for Morgan Rogers, but he now forms part of a thrilling front three alongside Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. Supporters have already begun searching for a nickname for the combination. Palmer has rejected ‘JP Morgan’ as ‘rubbish’, while ‘CPR’ is another early suggestion. That one has more appeal. Chelsea had looked in need of resuscitation.
Chelsea’s new front three of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers has made an instant impact
Co-owner Behdad Eghbali has faced plenty of criticism, but the summer’s business and early results could yet give him the last laugh
Rogers’ arrival, however, is only one part of the story. Eghbali has made questionable managerial appointments in the past, but he pulled off a major coup by bringing Xabi Alonso to the club this summer. He also recognised that Chelsea’s reluctance to sign experienced players was holding them back and was willing to abandon that policy.
It is reasonable to ask why Chelsea took so long to realise they could not mount a title challenge with Robert Sanchez in goal. Yet after two mistakes against Fulham threatened to cost them victory, the club moved quickly to address the issue. Within days, they had paid Aston Villa £7.5million for 33-year-old Emiliano Martinez.
Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck had already joined the squad. Henderson has yet to play and Welbeck has featured only in the Carabao Cup, but both are said to have influenced the team’s spirit and mentality. The players’ body language suggests Chelsea have developed a greater sense of unity.
The club is beginning to resemble a team focused on winning rather than a marketplace for transfers. The days when former manager Enzo Maresca celebrated wildly after Chelsea spent more than a billion pounds and finished fourth now feel distant. It has taken time, but Chelsea finally look coordinated — and more mature.
Their sales have been remarkable, too. After the ridicule aimed at them for paying £40million for Garnacho, the balance has shifted. Chelsea paid £30million for Liam Delap in the summer of 2025 and, despite his disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge — he scored only once in 28 league appearances — sold him to Nottingham Forest for £45million.
Andrey Santos had appeared unremarkable in midfield, yet Chelsea secured £50million from Manchester United for him. Aston Villa paid £65million for Nicolas Jackson, while Como spent £30million on Trevoh Chalobah. Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid represented a loss of quality, but Jorrel Hato appears to have filled that vacancy impressively.
The biggest deal could still be ahead. Reports suggest Maresca will attempt to persuade Manchester City to sign Enzo Fernandez on deadline day for a fee comfortably above the £106.8million Chelsea paid Benfica for him three years ago.
Fernandez has his admirers, but Chelsea clearly overpaid for him. He was the midfield leader of a team that finished 10th last season, and he has since become a disruptive presence. If Chelsea can move him to City, they will remove a problem from their own squad while handing it to one of their rivals.
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Chelsea paid £30m for Liam Delap a year ago, but after he scored just once in 28 league games, they sold him to Nottingham Forest for £45m
Chelsea also persuaded Aston Villa to pay £65m for Nicolas Jackson (right)
Selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City would allow Chelsea to offload a problem while placing it in the hands of a rival
All of this suggests Chelsea have undergone a significant transformation. The ownership appears more experienced, while a team mocked so heavily last season is now emerging as one of the league’s great entertainers. ‘Not too Xabi’, the new message at the Shed End, captures the supporters’ renewed confidence.
They will feel the absence of Moises Caicedo, who suffered another injury during Sunday’s 4-3 win over Brighton. Their 26 per cent possession in that match — the club’s lowest in 22 years — also points to lingering concerns in midfield. Even so, their attacking trio, with Pedro Neto providing an additional threat from the bench, has been strong enough to compensate.
Arsenal are next, with Chelsea travelling to the Emirates this weekend. This time, however, they will not arrive as a punchline. They will face Arsenal as a team many now regard as a genuine title contender. It will be a demanding examination for Alonso and his players, and a clear measure of how far Chelsea have progressed.
For now, the evidence points to real change. Chelsea have finally started to take themselves seriously.
Respect works both ways
I have always regarded it as a mark of respect when a player declines to celebrate after scoring against a former club.
Some may consider that view unrealistic or misguided, but to me it represents a thoughtful acknowledgment of a relationship that once mattered.
Joao Pedro celebrates against former club Brighton by pointing towards the Chelsea badge
It recognises that a connection can survive beyond a transfer, leaving behind a bond shared by player and club.
Even so, the criticism directed at Joao Pedro for celebrating his goal against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday was misplaced. I was not at the match, but I understand that Brighton’s former striker had missed a clear chance in front of the visiting supporters shortly before scoring. It is easy to imagine that Brighton fans gave him plenty of stick for it.
Under those circumstances, Joao Pedro could hardly be blamed for answering back after putting Chelsea 3-0 ahead. Respect has to work both ways.