Chelsea transfers: All the deals from Stamford Bridge over the summer
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Chelsea transfers and rumours: Busy summer window for Blues
The 2023 summer transfer window proved to be an extremely busy one for Chelsea whose spending since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club in May 2022 exceeds £1billion.
The west Londoners spent more than £380m on 12 players, including the signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton for £100m which could rise to a British club record £115m.
With no European football this season, the Blues also offloaded a handful of high-profile players in Mauricio Pochettino’s first season as manager.
It’s been a dizzying few months of Chelsea transfers and rumours, so we have a summary of their activity below.
Who have Chelsea signed?
Moises Caicedo
Chelsea finally signed the Ecuador international on an eight-year deal for a potential £115m despite Brighton having previously accepted a £111m offer from Liverpool.
The Blues first tried to buy Caicedo during the January transfer window but Brighton insisted he was not for sale and, after initially stating a desire to leave, he was persuaded to sign a new contract in March until 2027.
During the current window Chelsea had previously only been willing to go as high as £80m, a figure well short of Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s valuation, before finally agreeing to meet the requirements.
The Ecuador midfielder would become the third most expensive signing of all time if he fulfils all the criteria which would add another £15m to his transfer fee, although it is understood that roughly half of the add-ons included in the deal are easily achievable whilst the rest will be more difficult for Brighton to activate.
However, it is likely the fee will eventually rise to become a British record, surpassing the £105m the Blues paid Benfica for Enzo Fernandez.
Romeo Lavia
Chelsea completed the signing of Romeo Lavia from Southampton for a reported £53million, possibly rising to £58m.
The 19-year-old midfielder, who has played just 29 times in the Premier League, signed a seven-year deal having made clear his desire to move to Stamford Bridge over Liverpool, who also had a bid accepted.
Lavia, who made his Belgium debut in a friendly win against Germany in March, will compete with Enzo Fernandez and fellow new-signing Caicedo – the two most expensive players in English transfer history – for a starting place in Pochettino’s midfield.
Cole Palmer
Palmer surprisingly completed a £40m deadline-day move to Chelsea from Treble winners Manchester City on a seven-year deal.
The 21-year-old City academy graduate played 14 league games during the club’s Premier League title-winning season and was an unused substitute as they beat Inter Milan to win the Champions League in June.
Despite his increased involvement in the champions’ first team – which included scoring in both the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup this season – his new manager hinted a chance to play a more significant role in west London may have been a factor in persuading him to move.
Palmer told Chelsea’s website: “I’ve joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents. It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here.”
Nicolas Jackson
The 22-year-old forward completed a £30m move on an eight-year contract on the same day that Ruben Loftus-Cheek joined AC Milan.
The Senegal international was Villarreal’s top scorer in LaLiga last season with 12 goals, nine of which came in his last nine matches.
Jackson began his career at Senegal Premier League side Casa Sports before moving to the Yellow Submarine in September 2019.
Christopher Nkunku
The France forward scored 23 goals in 36 appearances for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig last season and he will bring a much-needed threat to a toothless Chelsea team that scored just 38 goals during the 2022-23 campaign – the fifth lowest in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old attacker actually made a pre-contract agreement in December to join the club but has now completed the move for a reported £63million on a six-year contract.
Robert Sanchez
Sanchez joined Chelsea from Brighton for £25m on a seven-year deal and has already established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.
With Edouard Mendy moving to Saudi Arabia and Kepa Arrizabalaga joining Real Madrid on loan, Sanchez is now the main man between the sticks.
Axel Disasi
The 25-year-old defender left Monaco and signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge as the Blues moved quickly to cover the injury to Wesley Fofana.
Disasi played 130 times in Ligue 1 and was part of the France squad that were runners-up in last year’s World Cup.
Lesley Ugochukwu
The Blues added teenager Ugochukwu to their ranks on a seven-year deal in the same week that Disasi joined the club.
The 19-year-old midfielder made 47 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes and also played in the Europa League, although he is likely to face a battle to get a place in the starting line-up ahead of Caicedo and Fernandez.
Dorde Petrovic
With Mendy and Kepa having left the club, Chelsea signed goalkeeper Petrovic from New England Revolution as back-up to first-choice Sanchez.
Petrovic, capped twice by Serbia, signed a seven-year contract in a £12.5m transfer deal which could rise to £14m.
Deivid Washington
Washington followed Angelo Gabriel in joining the the club from Santos during the summer transfer window, signing a seven-year deal for a £17m transfer fee.
The 18-year-old forward started his career at Gremio, but in 2016 moved to Santos where he broke into the first team last season.
Angelo Gabriel
Teenager Angelo joined Chelsea from Santos in July for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £13m. The 18-year-old winger scored five goals in 129 appearances for the Brazilian side, having made his debut against Fluminense when he was aged just 15.
Angelo will spend the 2023-24 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
Diego Moreira
Amid all the big-money signings during the summer, Moreira joined the club on a free fransfer from Benfica, but the 19-year-old winger will spend the season on loan at Lyon.
Chelsea signings:
Moises Caicedo (Brighton – £100m)
Romeo Lavia (Southampton – £53m)
Cole Palmer (Manchester City – £40m)
Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal – £30m)
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig – undisclosed)
Robert Sanchez (Brighton – £25m)
Axel Disasi (Monaco – undisclosed)
Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes – £23m)
Dorde Petrovic (New England Revolution – £12.5m)
Angelo Gabriel (Santos – undisclosed)
Deivid Washington (Santos – £17m)
Diego Moreira (Benfica – free transfer)
Who has left Chelsea?
Mason Mount (Manchester United – £55m)
Mount came through the ranks at Chelsea and made 129 Premier League appearances for them, scoring 27 goals and providing 22 assists, but made the decision to join Manchester United on a five-year contract for an initial £55m transfer fee.
The 24-year-old midfielder, a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2021, said in a statement from United: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.”
Mount spent 18 years with Chelsea, making his first-team debut in 2019 after loan spells with Vitesse in the Netherlands and then Derby.
He also posted a farewell message to Blues fans on Instagram in which he said: “Hi Chelsea fans, given the speculation over the last six months this may not come as a surprise to you, but it doesn’t make it any easier to tell you that I’ve made the decision to leave Chelsea. I feel you deserve more than just a written statement, so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful I’ve been for all of your support over the last 18 years.
“I know some of you won’t be happy with my decision, but it’s what’s right for me at this moment in my career. I joined Chelsea when I was six years old and we’ve been through a lot together. Winning the Youth Cup, my Player of the Year awards, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and of course that unforgettable night when we won the Champions League.”
Kai Havertz (Arsenal – £65m)
Havertz made 139 appearances and scored 32 goals in three seasons with the Blues, but became the latest player to leave Stamford Bridge, signing a long-term contract with London rivals Arsenal.
The Germany forward joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 and will be forever remembered as the man that scored the goal which secured a second Champions League trophy for Chelsea a year later.
Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City – £25m)
Croatia international Kovacic joined Treble winners Manchester City for an initial £25m, with a potential £5m in add-ons, on a four-year contract.
The 29-year-old midfielder joined Pep Guardiola’s side after five years at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Europa League and made 221 appearances.
Kovacic said: “This is a brilliant move for me and I cannot wait to get started with City. Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are. For me, they are the best in the world. The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there.”
Christian Pulisic (AC Milan – undisclosed)
Christian Pulisic joined the growing number of players to leave Chelsea this summer after completing a move to AC Milan for around £20m.
The 24-year-old midfielder signed a contract with the Serie A giants until June 30 2027, with an option to extend for a further year.
Pulisic spent four years at Stamford Bridge after joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, making 145 appearances and scoring 26 goals for the Blues.
One of those goals was in the 2021 Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid, which helped Chelsea into the final where they beat Manchester City.
The United States international also won the European Super Cup and Club World Cup with Chelsea in the following season.
Pulisic, who has made 60 appearances for his country and helped them reach the knockout stages of last year’s World Cup, will link back up with former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who joined Milan in June.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Atletico Madrid – free)
Azpilicueta ended his 11-year stay in west London by joining Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.
The 33-year-old Spaniard made more than 500 appearances for the club since joining from Marseille in 2012 and established himself as a favourite at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League in 2015 and 2017 as well as leading the side to victory in the Champions League in 2021.
An FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League winner, he appeared in a club-record 13 major cup finals.
He told the club’s supporters on Twitter: “From now on, I will be cheering on you all from afar, but my love for this club will never change. I am the person and the player that I am thanks to Chelsea FC and I can only wish the best for everyone at the club.”
N’Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad – free)
Kante joined Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema at Saudi club Al-Ittihad after his Chelsea contract expired at the end of June.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined the Blues from Leicester in 2016 and won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He was an integral part of the Foxes’ shock title success under Claudio Ranieri after arriving in England from Caen in 2015, just two years after having played in the French fourth tier.
His final season at Chelsea was blighted by injury. He required hamstring surgery in October and was unavailable to former manager Graham Potter until March, in all making only seven Premier League appearances across the campaign.
Khalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal – £17m)
Centre-back Koulibaly became the second Chelsea player to move to the Saudi Pro League for a reported £17m.
The 32-year-old Senegal international scored two goals in 32 appearances in one difficult season with the Blues, but has now moved to the Gulf state.
Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli – undisclosed)
Mendy became the third player to leave Chelsea for Saudi Arabia this summer after joining Al-Ahli.
A fee of £16million is understood to have been agreed for the Senegal goalkeeper, who lost his place in the team to Kepa Arrizabalaga during the second half of last season.
The 31-year-old had risen to become one of the most highly-rated keepers in the world after helping Chelsea to win the Champions League in 2021, but played only once for the club after returning from the World Cup in Qatar, costing his side a goal after a mistake in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in May.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan – undisclosed)
Loftus-Cheek became the latest midfielder to leave the club after completing a move to AC Milan on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £15m, plus add-ons.
His departure from Chelsea came after 19 years with the club, having joined their academy in 2004.
He made 155 appearances for the Blues, scoring 13 times, and earned Premier League, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup winners’ medals during his time there.
An impressive loan spell with Crystal Palace also saw Loftus-Cheek selected for the England squad which reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray – loan)
Ziyech linked up with Wilfried Zaha at Galatasaray after joining the Turkish giants on a season-long loan with an option to buy the winger.
The Morocco international made 107 appearances in all competitions for the Blues since his £33m move from Ajax in 2020.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille – free)
Aubameyang joined French Ligue 1 side Marseille to bring an end to his miserable time in west London.
The 34-year-old Gabon international scored one goal in 15 Premier League appearances for the Blues and was left out of the squad for the Champions League knockout stages by then boss Graham Potter in February.
Aubameyang has previous experience in Ligue 1 having played for St Etienne for two years from 2011 and 2013 as well as loan spells with Dijon, Lille and Monaco.
The former Arsenal striker joined Chelsea on a two-year contract from Barcelona last September in a deal that saw Marcos Alonso move in the other direction.
But he struggled to settle following the departure of boss Thomas Tuchel and it became increasingly evident that his stay at Stamford Bridge would not be a long one.
Lewis Hall (Newcastle – loan)
Hall signed a season-long loan with Newcastle, who have an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria.
The Magpies went in with an initial offer of £28million and it is understood that should Newcastle choose to make the deal permanent in a year’s time, the deal will include an additional £7m in possible add-ons plus a sell-on fee owed to Chelsea should he later depart.
Hall agreed a new six-year contract to stay at Stamford Bridge earlier in August but Newcastle’s interest has persuaded the Blues to part company with a player who made 11 first-team appearances last season, including nine in the Premier League.
Ethan Ampadu (Leeds – undisclosed)
Ampadu joined the Blues from Exeter in 2017 but struggled to establish himself in the first team and spent loan spells at RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia and Spezia.
The 22-year-old Wales international made 12 appearances for Chelsea in his first two seasons with the club but after a chat with new Leeds boss Daniel Farke decided to make a permanent move to the Championship club for a reported £7m.
David Datro Fofana (Union Berlin – loan)
Fofana joined Union Berlin on loan for the 2023-24 season.
The 20-year-old Ivory Coast international moved to the Blues from Molde on a six-and-a-half-year deal in January but has found opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge, making just four appearances and only one start.
Fofana will now look to gain more first-team experience at a club who have qualified for next season’s Champions League after finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season.
He told Union Berlin’s website: “Union have developed extremely strongly in the last few years and it excites me a lot to be a part of this in the coming season. The club has made a long and hard effort to find me and now I want to repay that with good performances.”
Romelu Lukaku (Roma – loan)
Lukaku joined Roma on a season-long loan from Chelsea, ending the long-running stand-off between player and club.
The Serie A club paid an £8million fee with no obligation to buy while also taking on the Belgium striker’s wages, which will be reduced from the £325,000-a-week he earned at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku has not played for Chelsea, whom he joined for £97.5m from Inter Milan two summers ago, since May 2022 and spent last season on loan back at Inter, helping them reach the Champions League final.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest)
Winger Hudson-Odoi became one of Nottingham Forest’s seven deadline-day signings, joining the club on a three-year deal for a fee believed to be around £3m, with £2m of potential add-ons.
Hudson-Odoi made 126 appearances for Chelsea and has won three caps for England.
Chelsea departures:
Kai Havertz (Arsenal – £65m)
Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City – £25m)
Cesar Azpilicueta (Atletico Madrid – free)
N’Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad – free)
Khalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal – undisclosed)
Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli – undisclosed)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan – undisclosed)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille – free)
Lewis Hall (Newcastle – loan)
Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray – loan)
Ethan Ampadu (Leeds – undisclosed)
David Datro Fofana (Union Berlin – loan)
Romelu Lukaku (Roma – loan)
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest – undisclosed)
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
