Amid the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-led takeover of Chelsea, there was no doubt that this summer would be one of change for the club.
The Blues were ready to enter the transfer market with around £200 million to spend, with the club keen to strengthen as they set their sights on a Premier League title challenge.
So far, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have arrived as their first summer signings, with both possessing a large depth of experience and quality.
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While new additions were needed to bolster the squad, departures are also a priority for the west London side, with many of their loanees returning for pre-season despite not regularly featuring for the team.
However, very little has been done on this front yet, and boss Thomas Tuchel is now facing a lack of commitment from some of his players.
Chelsea’s pre-season friendly loss against Arsenal showed just that, with the Blues losing 4-0 against their London rivals in a match that has raised a lot of questions over their ability to compete next season.
When asked if his side are ready for the new campaign, Tuchel said: "I can not guarantee.
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“I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match.
"Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options.
“We have players that have left and I think at the moment that's obvious."
Arsenal showed Chelsea levels on the pitch the other day, and they may well be beating them off it this summer too.
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As quoted by The Telegraph, the Gunners’ technical director Edu has disclosed his stance that effectively paying their older players to leave the club should be seen as an ‘investment’.
“When the player is 26-plus, big salary and he is not performing? He is killing you, that kind of player,” said the former Arsenal player when speaking to reporters on their tour in the United States.
“Because you don’t have a valuation to sell the player. The player is comfortable — Arsenal, London, beautiful, everything is fantastic — and has a good salary. How do you move this player?
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“So, how many players with that kind of characteristics did we have in the past? 80 per cent of the squad.
“Try to avoid one more year with the problem inside, in the dressing room, expensive, not performing.
“Clean, take it out. Even, I am sorry, if you have to pay.
“To leave is better. Because that guy is sometimes also blocking someone.
“I know it hurts, I know it is strange when I go to the board and say: ‘Sometimes it’s better to pay a player to leave, than maintain them.’ But I consider it an investment. Sometimes people say: ‘It’s expensive’. I say: ‘No, it's an investment.’
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“But someone will pay if you sell? No, guys — if the player is above 26, 27 and not performing, big salary, no chance.”
If such a policy was implemented at Chelsea, where ageing players on big wages who are not regularly playing for the side were to leave, then the Blues would be able to progress as a club.
Over the course of pre-season, many have raised eyebrows over the inclusions of certain players.
Michy Batshuayi has featured in all of their games so far this summer, despite last playing a competitive match for the club in 2020.
Having played such little game time since he first left on loan, it would be wise to move him on this summer, especially when it could present a new signing or youth player with an opportunity to make more of an impact.
The same could be said with the likes of Kenedy and Ross Barkley, both have failed to regularly feature for Chelsea ever since they joined, but remain on the club’s payroll.
While the issue is clear to be seen, there are suggestions that they could already be acting on potential departures that feature in this category.
Matt Miazga and Baba Rahman are both up for sale this summer according to Nizaar Kinsella, and with FIFA’s new rules on overseas loan deals coming into place, it could spur the club on to make more sales of players that are deemed to be ‘deadwood’.
While Tuchel can only select those that he has at his disposal during pre-season, the use of players who clearly have very little of a future at Stamford Bridge is blocking the progression and implementation of those who are set to be included in the team’s plans for the forthcoming season.
While some of the potential sales may not necessarily raise huge amounts of money, the funds can still be used to strengthen the side.
Arsenal’s performances this summer, tied with their activity in the transfer market, have allowed them to approach the new season full of confidence.
On the other hand, many of those in Tuchel’s squad do not yet know where their futures lie and on reflection of their performances during the last couple of weeks, there is a sense that some of them do not necessarily want to be at the club.
The new campaign starts next weekend and Chelsea look far from ready to compete on all fronts over the course of the next few months, especially when the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have operated similarly to Arsenal; investing and impressing.
There is still a lot of work to be done at the Blues, although the arrivals of Sterling and Koulibaly have brought some optimism to the fan-base.
Boehly and the rest of the new Chelsea ownership are also in their first season as custodians of the club, so there is argument to say that they are still learning and adapting to the pressures of the Premier League and English football in general.
However, they should certainly use this summer as a lesson for future seasons and although it may hurt to do so, taking note of one of their rivals may not go amiss and could prove to be beneficial in the long-term.
Topics: Chelsea, Arsenal, Thomas Tuchel
Robert Calcutt