The hope and expectation is that Enzo Maresca will instil his philosophy into a talented Chelsea team that had raised its game toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign and that the Blues will return to prominence.
It's been a painful few seasons for the west Londoners, who have become so used to sustained silver-laden successes over the past few years, only to fall by the wayside since Todd Boehly and Co assumed ownership in 2021.
But Mauricio Pochettino's one-year reign seems to have stabilised Stamford Bridge after a previous campaign of turbulence and turmoil. Maresca has inherited a talented if unrefined team and has ventured to score improvements thus far through the £30m signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in midfield and centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who joined on a Bosman after his contract with Fulham expired last month.
Presently, the Blues are moving to sign Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen in a £20m deal, but once that one's tied up, Chelsea will move to address the frontline.
While the search for a high-level centre-forward rages on, sporting director Paul Winstanley is keeping tabs on an attacking midfielder whose arrival could make all the difference at the start of a new era.
Chelsea transfer news
According to Spanish outlet Sport – via Caught Offside – Chelsea are interested in signing RB Leipzig winger Dani Olmo this summer, with the Spaniard having been one of the standout performers at Euro 2024.
A host of outfits – including both Manchester giants in the Premier League – are interested in a move, with the expiry of Olmo's €60m (£51m) release clause doing little to dissuade suitors.
The Spain international, aged 26, will be allowed to leave for a figure in the same region, and with Chelsea in the market for a dynamic wide forward, he could be just the man for the job.
What Dani Olmo would bring to Chelsea
Olmo endured something of an injury-hit campaign with Leipzig after playing a crucial part in two DFB Pokal-winning seasons prior, but he still managed to impress with a prolific haul of eight goals and five assists across 20 starting appearances.
And of course, the £152k-per-week forward played a significant part in Spain's triumph on the continent this summer, with pundit Ally McCoist praising his "magnificent" displays.
Matches played
6
Matches started
3
Goals
3
Assists
2
Pass completion
83%
Shots per game
2.8
Key passes per game
1.8
Dribbles per game
2.3 (74%)
Duels won per game
4.5 (61%)
The former Barcelona academy star's performances for his country last month probably serve as a better, more apt representation of his technical acumen than his efforts over the last year for Leipzig, and with injury issues seemingly behind him, Chelsea must start to ramp up the gas and prepare to bypass the competition for his signature.
His silky-smooth passing game and prowess as a "natural-born goalscorer" – as said by former La Masia coach Denis Silva Puig – could see Olmo emulate Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge, with FBref actually listing the two attacking midfielders as comparable players.
Olmo's Spain bested England in the Euro 2024 final but Palmer certainly did his bit, slicing a driven strike into the bottom corner to restore parity in the second half, before the Three Lions ultimately rolled on their back. It was a fitting seasonal finale for a player who had posted 25 goals and 15 assists across 45 outings in his maiden season with Chelsea.
Olmo, who can operate across the frontline, could be the perfect addition to complete Maresca's set, with his skillset possibly even serving to unlock the talent of Christopher Nkunku, who did not enjoy the same kind of debut Blues term as his peer, Palmer.
Imagine Olmo & Christopher Nkunku
Chelsea confirmed the £52 signing of Nkunku from Leipzig back in June 2023, with the France international having enjoyed an incredible couple of years in Saxony, Germany. Indeed, across the two seasons prior, he had scored 58 goals and added 29 assists in this time frame, proving to be quite the effective striker.
Injuries absolutely wrecked his first year on English shores, however, limiting him to just 11 outings and two starts in the Premier League – still, he bagged three goals.
Having enjoyed a summer of recuperation, missing out on France's Euro 2024 squad due to such issues, Nkunku has now expressed that he is "feeling better" ahead at another shot at success with Chelsea.
Bonding him with Olmo – who he wreaked havoc within Germany – once again could prove to be the perfect way to steady the ship, with the duo combining for 13 goal contributions at Leipzig, the joint-most of any of Nkunku's career colleagues.
Nkunku is also much more than just a goalscorer; across the 2022/23 campaign, in the Bundesliga, he ranked among the top 1% of forwards for shot-creating actions and pass completion, the top 13% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Chemistry. It's an all-important word in football; the elite-level outfits have it in spades. Chelsea, admittedly, lacked that steel-reinforced bond throughout their attack last term, with only Liverpool (79) missing more big chances than Pochettino's side last year (73).
Olmo and Nkunku could dig up their former fluency in Germany and strike a chord under Maresca's wing, propelling Chelsea back into the ascendancy and restoring that trophy-winning feeling that feels to have dragged on for an interminable amount of time.
Imagine him & Palmer: Chelsea can land £152k-p/w ace who's like Bellingham
The star has caught the attention of multiple sides across Europe this summer.
ByEthan LambJul 27, 2024