With Mauricio Pochettino set to be installed as manager, Chelsea face a crucial transfer window as they look to right the wrongs of this season.
Once the fanfare around Mauricio Pochettino's imminent arrival in the Stamford Bridge dugout has died down, it will be straight down to business for the new Chelsea manager.
Despite their lavish spending across the past two transfer windows, club owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali and co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have yet more work to do in the summer alongside the new head coach, with much more precise surgery now required on a bloated and disjointed squad.
Three positions have been pinpointed as a priority: goalkeeper, 'No.6' and – unsurprisingly – striker.
Pochettino's contacts books could come in handy, but who are the players Chelsea could target as they overhaul the spine of the team? GOAL takes a look…
GettyHarry Kane
After appointing cherished former Spurs manager Pochettino, what better way to rub salt in the wounds than by going after talismanic record goalscorer Harry Kane?
Although he is being regularly linked with a move to Manchester United, a switch across the capital is not as far-fetched as it may first seem; there is the obvious connection with Pochettino – the man who set him on his ridiculous goalscoring path – and he would be able to continue living in and around London, without unsettling his growing family.
Of course, it will be a tremendously difficult and costly deal to pull off with notoriously tough negotiator Daniel Levy, but this new Chelsea hierarchy has already shown it's ruthlessness when pursuing its primary targets – and lord knows Chelsea need a world-class striker.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesRomeo Lavia
It has been widely reported that a new midfielder to play the No.6 role is high on Chelsea's list of priorities this summer, despite the £106 million ($132m) arrival of Enzo Fernandez in January.
The Blues could really do with a midfield goal scorer in truth, but it's seems they're after someone who could succeed N'Golo Kante.
NXGN Nine inductee Romeo Lavia fits the bill in that sense. The 19-year-old has defied his tender years this season, looking like a seasoned professional at the heart of an otherwise struggling Southampton team.
His press-resistance, ball-carrying ability and progressive passing make him the archetypal modern No.6, and he could be available at a cut price as the Saints stare down relegation.
GettyAndre Onana
Goalkeeper is another position that has been earmarked for an overhaul, with neither Kepa Arrizabalaga nor Edouard Mendy considered to be consistently good enough to be No.1 long-term.
Inter's Andre Onana is the most recent big name to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea will discuss their interest in their player during talks over loanee Romelu Lukaku's future in Italy.
Although he isn't the tallest, Onana is an agile shot-stopper who is also comfortable stepping out and joining the defence as a pseudo extra centre-back in possession. There is no doubt he would be an upgrade on their current ranks, and he would come cheaper than many other options, too.
(C)Getty ImagesIvan Toney
Chelsea are in dire need of a proven Premier League goalscorer, and if there's one man who's demonstrated his ability to hit the back of the net in his time in the division, it's Ivan Toney.
After an excellent first season in the top flight with Brentford, Toney has shown it was no fluke by hitting the 20-goal mark in all competitions in 2022-23.
His physicality and explosive finishing ability are reminiscent of some of the great Chelsea strikers of the modern era such as Diego Costa and Didier Drogba, and he has intimated in the past that he wants to test himself at a higher level.
Toney is a very attractive proposition, but an impending ban for betting breaches could scupper a transfer.