Thomas Tuchel has revealed the details regarding Chelsea’s transfer window, criticising several targets for ‘using’ the Blues to earn contracts elsewhere.
So far, the Blues have brought in Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion, Raheem Sterling from Manchester City and Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.
The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana after seeing an initial two bids rejected by the Foxes.
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Following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, Tuchel has been in need of central defensive reinforcements, with Koulibaly the only natural centre back to join the club.
Cucurella can also feature at the back when required, but the Blues will be hoping to make further additions after missing out on several targets this summer.
First, the Blues agreed a fee with Leeds United for the transfer of Raphinha but two weeks later the Brazilian made a permanent switch to Barcelona.
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Furthermore, the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde departed for other clubs despite heavy rumours to Chelsea, while Tuchel’s side failed to agree a fee for Nathan Ake with Man City.
Speaking to the press ahead of the opening match of the Premier League season, Tuchel opened up on the transfer window and Chelsea’s struggles entering the new season.
As quoted by football.london, the German said: "We agreed to a small number of names very early to try to sign.
"But the number of names got a bit bigger, the number of names we discussed was endless.”
The head coach continued to discuss how the transfer window has been a distraction, with Tuchel having to balance being a coach alongside having a say in the incomings and outgoings before criticising some of the Blues’ targets.
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"It never stops and was sometimes a bit confusing and distracting but, in the end, we managed to focus back on the names we mentioned in the first place to stay calm, not to get distracted because opportunities come up,” he continued.
“Sometimes you think an opportunity comes, but it’s not. Somebody is using us to get a better contract somewhere else.”
The German finalised by stating how the off-the-field rumours regarding transfers distracted his side ahead of the new season.
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He finished: “It was quite turbulent here, I have to say. Our training camp was full of news, then no news, then new news, then the newest news, a change of plans, and finding my role in this. But what was very obvious from the beginning – and I was proved right – was Todd and Behdad wanted to do things right for Chelsea and for this team.
"They're very ambitious, they are hard, hard-working, and they demand it from everybody.
"That was not a problem but it was sometimes turbulent, sometimes distracting, and not 100% calm."
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Thomas Tuchel, Football, Transfers, Todd Boehly
Nick Emms