The 2024/25 summer transfer window closed on August 30, 2024, but it was not without some drama around the transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen to Chelsea.
In the end, the transfer did not materialize as the London-based side failed to agree personal terms with the Napoli striker. Since the takeover by American businessman Todd Boehly and the Clearlake consortium, the Blues have been the most active club in Europe, spending massively on new players.
At the end of the transfer window, Chelsea spent a total of £203.3 million on 13 new signings while they also raised a total of £163.5 million from sales, bringing a net transfer spending of £39.8 million.
Following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, the summer transfer started with the appointment of new coach Enzo Maresca, who had just won the English Championship and led Leicester City to promotion back to the Premier League.
Although they failed to strengthen the obvious area in need of replacement which was center-forward, they still managed to bring in players who would be hoping to make an impact under the new coach. With that in mind, Chelsea tickets are expected to see a surge in demand.
The Blues spent the majority of the summer in search of a number 9 but had to settle for none after failing to agree on terms with two of their targets- Samu Omorodion and Victor Osimhen.
Controversy also surrounded the exit of English midfielder Conor Gallagher whose transfer to Atletico Madrid stalled for days before an agreement was finally reached. Gallagher had first rejected moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa before agreeing to join Atletico Madrid after being told he was not in the plans of the new coach.
Key incomings
Pedro Neto: The Portugal international was brought in to provide competition for Mykhalo Mudryk on the left side of the attack. After English forward Raheem Sterling was exiled from the first team by Enzo Maresca, the club brought in the pacy left winger from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth £54 million.
Joao Felix: The Portuguese forward joined Chelsea for a fee of about £42 million for a second term after a decent loan stint in the 2022/23 season. The Portugal international whose agent Jorge Mendes also works for fellow summer recruit, Pedro Neto, joined from Atletico Madrid in a separate deal that saw Conor Gallagher move the other way.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: The former Leicester City midfielder was brought in by Enzo Maresca to provide competition in the midfield for the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia in a £30 million deal. He played an important role in the Foxes’ midfield last season and could be important for the club this season.
Tosin Adarabioyo: The Anglo-Nigerian defender joined Chelsea in a free transfer after the expiration of his contract at Fulham. He was brought in to provide experience especially as he has been a consistent performer for Fulham in recent seasons. Chelsea also brought him in to serve as a replacement for former defender Thiago Silva who left the club at the end of his contract to join Brazilian side Fluminense.
Renato Veiga: The former Sporting Lisbon Academy graduate joined Chelsea in a £12 million deal from Swiss side Basel. The versatile player who can play as a left-back and also in midfield will help to provide cover for Spanish first-choice left-back Marc Cucurella.
Jadon Sancho: The English forward joined from league rivals Manchester United on transfer deadline day in a loan deal. This came after Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag informed him that he would not be an important player for the club this season.
Filip Jorgensen: The Danish shot-stopper was brought to provide competition for first-choice Robert Sanchez. He was signed for £21 million from Villareal.
Marc Guiu: The young striker was signed from Barcelona after Chelsea triggered his release clause of £6 million. The youngster is expected to be a fringe player as he has only had one season of senior team football.
Other signings include Brazilian teenage sensation, Estevao Willian who will join in the summer of 2025 after a fee of £29 million was agreed with Palmeiras. Chelsea also signed Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino who will also join the club in 2025. Goalkeeper Mike Penders who was signed from Genk in a £17 million deal will also join in the summer of 2025, same with teenagers Omari Kellyman and Caleb Wiley.
Key Outgoings
Conor Gallagher: The English midfielder was the biggest sale of the transfer window for the Blues albeit his exit generated a lot of controversy. He was first told by new coach Enzo Maresca to find a new club, and after rejecting moves to two English clubs, he finally agreed to join Atletico Madrid in a deal worth about £35 million.
The transfer had first stalled due to Chelsea’s failure to agree a deal with Omorodion. They eventually agreed to sign Portuguese forward Joao Felix, and that paved the way for Gallagher to move the other way.
Raheem Sterling: After impressing in pre-season, Sterling’s omission from the matchday one squad against Manchester City revealed his stance in the team as he was told he was surplus to requirements. Aside from losing his place in the team, he lost his squad number to summer recruit Pedro Neto. He finally joined London rivals Arsenal on loan in a transfer deadline day move.
Trevor Chalobah: The academy graduate was deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca. He had to join Crystal Palace in a season-long loan deal.
Other notable players to exit include Ian Maatsen who joined Aston Villa for £37.5 million and Romelu Lukaku who moved to Italian FC Napoli in a permanent deal for £25 million after loan deals away from Stamford Bridge.
Also, defender Thiago Silva left at the end of his contract, Hakim Ziyech joined Turkish side Galatasaray in a free transfer, Kepa Arrrizabalaga joined Bournemouth on a loan deal, Omari Hutchinson moved to Ipswich for £20 million, Angelo joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al Nassr for £19 million despite never making an appearance for the blues, Armado Broja was transferred to Everton in a season-long loan deal, and goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic joined Strasbourg in another loan deal.
The 2024/25 summer transfer ended with Chelsea missing out on a big striker, but they found a way to balance their books by making some smart player sales.
They also handed last season’s best player Cole Palmer a new contract. However, it remains to be seen how new coach Enzo Maresca will cope with the already bloated squad which includes a large number of new signings.
