23/24 Season Review and Summer Preview - Part Two

FAN VIEW: By Danny Windsor

*Part two of a contribution article by Chelsea season ticket holder and SPTC community member Danny Windsor (part one here).

In this article, I will cover what I think needs to happen this summer for us to take the next step!

We have been told on multiple occasions that this is the summer of the 4 out of 4 transfer windows to create this rebuild. This window has already started very well with the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo; some experience in the Premier League and fits the manager's style of play very very well.

For sales, we can generate some very good money on players that we don’t want around. Selling Kepa Arrizabalaga, Robert Sanchez, Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Lewis Hall, Ian Maatsen, Armando Broja, (plus loan fee in Jan), Romelu Lukaku, Omari Hutchinson, Malang Sarr, and others could generate £235m in plus loan fees on new loans could easily reach £250m.

We also have the futures of Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Marc Cucarella, Ben Chilwell, Noni Madueke, and Raheem Sterling for more avenues to create funds if needs be. If you could get Sterling’s wages off the book and sell him for like £30m, you could replace him with someone like Crysencio Summerville of Leeds for the same money but save at least £10m a year in wages.

My perfect summer would be:

• Tosin for free (pretty much done)

• Diogo Costa for £60m (24 years old but over 150 games at a top level and 23 Champions League apps already something seriously lacking in this side)

• Benjamin Sesko (£55m releasue clause, top prospect who plays both as a big man and with good technical abilities, only Serhou Guirassy and Harry Kane have better goals per 90, and only behind Kane for conversion rate for shots taken)

• Michael Olise (don’t need any prop at all - 19 games 10 goals 6 assists, and if Joe Shields wants him you sign him, end of)

• Castello Lukeba/Riccardo Calafiori (£60m and £20m respectively. For the LB/LCB role both had very good break-out seasons in their respective leagues and have both technical abilities and defensive qualities to fir this role perfectly)

This would be around £245m all in and I would imagine a further reductions in our wage bill.

If we managed to pull that window off, we would cement ourselves as a proper top 4 side and be able to build towards challenging for everything moving forward. This squad for next season would have no reason to not get top 4, 2 good domestic cup runs, win the conference league, and have a deep run in the club world cup.

My view of how the squad would look:

This is with Malo Gusto, Tosin, Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Carney Chukwuemeka, Mykhailo Mudryk, Sesko all to be on the bench. This would be a scary squad for the rest of the Premier League!

Over to you Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, let’s bring us back to the top!

We will have to have some patience for these players to gel and to learn and adapt to Enzo Maresca’s way of playing, but the quality and the foundations will be there!

I think you will all say that we deserve it! Up the Chelsea and KTBFFH!!!!

Danny Windsor