Chelsea’s new signings show Thomas Tuchel promise on Blues debuts

After a slow start to summer transfer proceedings, Chelsea have finally started to welcome new players through the doors at Stamford Bridge.

Having finished 19 points behind Champions Manchester City last season, the Blues will be keen to close the gap on them and Liverpool in the new campaign, although that is a lot easier said than done.

They have now failed to win the title in five consecutive seasons, although cup success during that time has certainly made up for it.

The club will now have to begin their rebuild and with their new ownership already getting to work, it is the perfect time for Chelsea to bring in fresh faces.

Five signings have been made so far this summer with winger Raheem Sterling, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and left wing-back Marc Cucurella all deciding to make the switch to west London.

Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina have also joined, but the trio above have been the most notable additions to date.

Saturday saw Chelsea kick-off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton, a ground they had failed to win at since 2017.

A stoppage time penalty at the end of the first half from Jorginho was enough to decide the result, with the Blues travelling back to London with three points to their name.

Sterling, Koulibaly and Cucurella all featured during the match, and Thomas Tuchel will be pleased with their respective contributions against the Toffees. 

Having previously played for Liverpool, Sterling faced a hostile reception against Everton but it was clear to see that the atmosphere did little to faze him.

The 27-year-old, who signed from City, brought fresh pace and drive to the Chelsea attack, something that they arguably lacked at points last season.

He did well to hold off challenges from multiple defenders and was unlucky not to have scored on his debut, with his tap-in from close range being correctly ruled out for offside.

Raheem Sterling made his competitive debut against Everton. (Alamy)

Koulibaly spent eight seasons at Napoli and emerged as one of Europe’s top centre-backs during his time at the club.

He has now arrived in the Premier League with a point to prove but if his first appearance is anything to go by, then the Senegal captain should be just fine.

Slotting in on the left hand side of the back three, Koulibaly did well to limit Everton’s chances.

The centre-back was also the one who played the ball through to Ben Chilwell before he won the penalty towards the end of the first half, proving he can rise to the occasion at both ends of the pitch.

Despite his move from Brighton only being announced on Friday afternoon, Cucurella played his first minutes for Chelsea late on in the win.

He came on to replace fellow new signing Koulibaly with 15 minutes to go, but did well in his limited time on the pitch.

Playing at left wing-back the Spaniard looked sharp running down the flanks and had Sterling’s goal-bound effort not taken a deflection, he could have provided an assist early into his Blues career.

Marc Cucurella on his Chelsea debut. (Alamy)

He will provide strong competition for Ben Chilwell, who made his first start for the club since his injury back in November.

With his ability to also play in a back three, Cucurella provides Tuchel with versatility.

He and Sterling both have Premier League experience to their name, something that a fair few of their recent signings have not had before signing for the club.

This could be a massive boost to their prospects in the league, and the added depth will be beneficial across all competitions.

More signings are expected to arrive before the end of the window and some players will also depart the club, with work still to be done in order for them to become the full package.

However, despite them only playing one game so far this season, Tuchel can be pleased with what he has seen as he eyes more success at Stamford Bridge.