Fifty-seven games and counting into Chelsea’s 2024-25 season, they will briefly turn their attention to the transfer market before heading off to the Club World Cup.
The Europa Conference League champions have been to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Poland (twice) this season and the jet-setting will continue in a few weeks when they begin their campaign in the States against either Los Angeles FC or Club America.
Before then, there is a special 10-day transfer window where the Blues can add to their squad, who are on a high from a week in which they won a European trophy and sealed a top-four finish in the Premier League.
With the return of the Champions League to Stamford Bridge next season, Enzo Maresca will be looking for a few reinforcements to the youngest squad in Premier League history.
So who will they sign? Will there be another mass splurge akin to Todd Boehly’s early days at the club? And will someone, please, find them a striker?
Here, our Chelsea expert KIERAN GILL answers all the big questions.
Chelsea celebrated Europa Conference League glory on Wednesday night in Wroclaw
The European glory came just three days after Chelsea sealed Champions League football for next season with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest
The transfer business starts now for co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali
What do Chelsea need this summer?
Above all, they need and want a striker. The injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu left them in such a pickle that they had to use Pedro Neto and Tyrique George up top towards the end of this season.
Chelsea believe they can kick on if they nab a good goalscorer this summer and there is a desire to do their business early, even in time for the Club World Cup by using the exceptional June 1-10 window introduced by FIFA.
Nicolas Jackson’s injury left Chelsea with no recognised striker, as Pedro Neto and Tyrique George had to be used as makeshift options
Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian (centre) will join Chelsea this summer from Palmeiras
Kendry Paez is also on his way to Stamford Bridge, to join Ecuador team-mate Moises Caicedo
As well as a striker, they are looking at left wingers and centre backs, though much of their work has been concluded, with wonderkids Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez, Mamadou Sarr, Mike Penders and Dario Essugo among those arriving this summer after they arranged pre-agreements with those players’ camps and their clubs.
How big is their budget and is PSR a major concern?
Chelsea have always assured us that they work within the rules even if, sometimes, they have to get a little creative, like selling their women’s team to themselves.
Their rivals may mock them for that, but then perhaps they should be hating the game, not the players. If the game’s authorities allow it, that’s on them.
Chelsea believe they have built a solid squad and that they just need to find the finishing pieces to the puzzle, such as a striker. They usually don’t come cheap, mind.
Qualifying for the Champions League gave their budget a big boost.
Who are they interested in?
Give me an ‘L’. Give me an ‘I’. Give me an ‘A’. You see where I’m going here. It’s Liam Delap who they like, though their striker shortlist has also included Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Chelsea consider Delap a bargain at £30m, which is the value of his relegation release clause with Ipswich. Talks are now accelerating after the conclusion of Chelsea’s Premier League and Conference League campaign.
The word is Ipswich may be interested in taking Marc Guiu on loan if they sell Delap to Chelsea, though sources have not shed much light on whether they would be open to that.
Winger-wise, they have tracked Borussia Dortmund’s English 20-year-old Jamie Gittens and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams. Arsenal have also been linked to both.
Chelsea consider Liam Delap a bargain at £30m, which is the value of his relegation release clause with Ipswich
Winger-wise, they have tracked Borussia Dortmund’s English 20-year-old Jamie Gittens
Which young players could break out next season to fill gaps in the first-team squad?
They still have George and Josh Acheampong, who were promoted to the first-team midway through the last campaign.
Other promising youngsters include Shim Mheuka, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Reggie Walsh and more.
The issue is Chelsea are no longer in the Conference League – a competition which has been a blessing for their Cobham kids as Maresca managed to give good minutes to the graduates.
They are now back in the Champions League where every game (all eight of them in the league phase) will be a huge test, and so it will be much more difficult for the youngsters to get a look in.
Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong were promoted to the first-team midway through the last campaign
Striker Shim Mheuka is one to keep an eye on from the Chelsea academy next season
Reggie Walsh, 16, will look to kick on after making his senior debut this season in the Conference League
Which players are set to leave?
Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku are five names that immediately come to mind.
Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile could also be available if interest is shown in them.
Rumours are circulating that Chelsea will pay £5m to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United at the conclusion of his loan, though that has not been communicated to his camp.