Chelsea strike title blow with 2 for 1 transfer success as Liverpool and Arsenal near moves: opinion
Chelsea moved quickly to strengthen their forward line but have they signed better than their title rivals?
Whether it is seen as part of last season or just a really long summer, Chelsea are flying just now and in a buoyant mood ahead of the new season.
The Club World Cup was added to the Europa Conference League trophy as well as qualification for the Champions League. As far as first seasons go, Enzo Maresca couldn’t have done much better as he looked to gel a huge squad and find the right combination of players to bring success back to Stamford Bridge.
This summer is more about tinkering with the additions to the forward line likely to lead to departures with Nicolas Jackson tipped to leave and Noni Madueke already having signed for Arsenal.
Chelsea win summer striker battle with Pedro and Delap swoop
Chelsea moved fast this summer to sign Liam Delap for £30m with the arrival of Joao Pedro for £60m spurring the Blues onto success in the states. The strike pair are completely different in terms of how they go about their business, but what they do is offer options that Maresca previously didn’t have at his disposal.
It would have been easy for Chelsea to get sucked into a price war for Hugo Ekitike or Viktor Gyokeres, instead, for around £10m more, they have strengthened the attack and added depth. Should Gyokeres get injured Arsenal are back at square one and Ekitike being absent would see them having to rely on Darwin Nunez again, if he isn’t sold. If he is sold, what striker would want to sign given the £78m fee paid for Ekitike?
Chelsea haven’t made the headline making striker signing that they used to in the past, but they have secured the best business and will be a serious title contender as a result.
Jody Morris claims Pedro signing will have ruffled feathers at Chelsea
One person who is surprised that Chelsea went back into the market to sign Pedro is Jody Morris. The former Stamford Bridge favourite believes that the Brazilian’s arrival will have annoyed one person in particular.
Speaking on talkSPORT's Inside Chelsea show, the former midfielder explained: "We can all dress it up as much as we want, saying that we need competition for places. When Liam Delap would have signed for Chelsea, there’s no way that he would have thought they’re going to go and sign another person in his position.
"I think it’s part and parcel of the game. And, in fairness, when you go to a big club, anything can happen week to week, especially at our club of late. I think it was great business for us to go and get Liam for such small money. He obviously has a lot of potential, performed well in the Premier League last year in a struggling team."
With. Club World Cup winner’s medal in his back pocket already and a goal to his name, the chances of Delap regretting his decision are pretty slim.