Who will Chelsea sign this summer? Every player they've been linked with ahead of the transfer window

Who Chelsea will sign in the upcoming transfer window seems a ridiculous question to ask, considering Todd Boehly spent more than £600 million over the course of his first two windows owning the club.

After a poor season where the Blues underperformed, though, Chelsea are guaranteed to go above and beyond to rectify that by bringing in a wave of new signings, likely for a lot of money, too. 

Christopher Nkunku is already set to sign for the club in the summer from RB Leipzig, but he certainly won't be the final incoming. 

But who will Chelsea sign this summer? FourFourTwo runs through the transfer rumours doing the rounds. 

Who will Chelsea sign this summer?

Goalkeepers

Unconvinced with either Kepa Arrizabalaga or Edouard Mendy, Graham Potter has tasked the club's decision makers to scout a new goalkeeper for next season. And, according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, Brentford's David Raya, Brighton's Robert Sanchez and Everton's Jordan Pickford have all been shortlisted. 

Defenders

Chelsea love expensive transfers, and none come better than Josko Gvardiol. The RB Leipzig centre-back could be at the centre of a furious bidding war between Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and top European clubs this summer, The Athletic reports, costing close to £100 million. 

Chelsea have previously dealt with RB Leipzig on multiple occasions, though, and learning from Thiago Silva could further develop his game to the next level. 

According to Fichajes, Chelsea are set to battle it out with Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni during the summer. The Italian will have just a year of his contract remaining come June, which could force Inter Milan into selling the 23-year-old. 

Midfielders

Chelsea have been long-time admirers of Declan Rice, the West Ham midfielder formerly of the Blues' academy. While the Guardian reports that Rice wants to compete a higher level - preferably in the Champions League - with Arsenal his most "likely" destination, Chelsea are still firmly in the frame, and will surely be wiling to match any valuation. 

Should Arsenal manage to hijack the transfer of Rice, Chelsea could look to embarrass Manchester United by swooping for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer. The Netherlands international was linked with the Blues last summer too, but Manchester United were the club that expended the most effort on trying to secure his signature.

The Red Devils were ultimately unsuccessful, with De Jong adamant that he had no desire to leave the Camp Nou. But according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Chelsea could go back in for De Jong ahead of next season.

ESPN report that Barcelona midfielder Gavi could be available for free in the summer, should the Catalan side fail to register him with first-team by July 1. With La Liga unhappy with Barcelona flouting their spending limits, it has refused to recognise Gavi's latest contract with the club, meaning it is null and void. 

Therefore, a transfer fee might not be necessary for the diminutive midfielder, the 18-year-old having not actually signed a professional contract with Barcelona. Chelsea, naturally, are keen to swoop in and secure his services, though this will require plenty of negotiations to prise Gavi away from his boyhood club.

Chelsea are chasing the signature of PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare this summer, with the Dutch club reportedly ready to cash in on the midfielder. The Ivory Coast international was linked with a move to England last year but eventually extended his deal in Eindhoven to June 2027 instead. But PSV will sanction a sale in the upcoming transfer window, according to 90Min. 

Fulham attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira could make the short switch from Craven Cottage to Stamford Bridge in the summer, according to ESPN. In West London he has shown he is more than capable of dazzling in England's top-flight, winning praise for his tireless performances. 

Like the majority of the Premier League big boys, Alexis Mac Allister is on Chelsea's shortlist for the summer. He has impressed at Brighton recently, with his World Cup displays with Argentina proving his quality. While it will take a hefty price fee to lure him away from the south coast, Boehly has previous of raiding Brighton. 

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that the Blues will sign Kendry Paez when the player turns 18 in 2025, after a £17.6 million was green-lit by top-flight club Independiente this week.

Paez, who is 5ft 8, fast and stocky, is known for his close control, vision, passing and finishing, and has drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona by South American journalists. The midfielder has made three senior appearances for his club this season, scoring once.

Forwards

Chelsea are crying out for a centre-forward this summer, their lack of goals palpable across all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign. 

And they could be set to address those issues by signing Napoli forward Victor Osimhen. Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg writes that City, Chelsea, United and PSG are all in the race, with Napoli unwilling to accept any bid lower than £132 million this summer, according to Italian outlet Il Mattino. The Italian side are storming to their first Scudetto since 1990, with the Nigerian a major part in that charge. 

As a result, he will cost a lot of money, not that that will bother Chelsea too much. 

Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram is out of contract in the summer, with the 25-year-old refusing to sign an extension at the German side.Clubs outside of Germany can therefore begin negotiations with Thuram and his agent, with a view to signing him on a pre-contract ahead of joining properly in the summer. Chelsea have reportedly made contact with the Frenchman, but no deal has been struck yet.

Chelsea are weighing up whether to activate their buy-back clause for Roma striker Tammy Abraham, say reports, while Manchester United are also interested in the England international. Abraham swapped London for the Eternal City in the summer of 2021 after Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Giallorossi boss and enjoyed a superb debut season in Italy.

Chelsea and Newcastle United are preparing for a summer transfer battle for Barcelona winger Raphinha, with the La Liga giants willing to sell the 26-year-old in the summer to increase funds for their own budget. According to Spanish outlet Sport, both Chelsea and Newcastle are keeping tabs on the situation at Camp Nou surrounding Raphinha.

Chelsea will make a sensational bid to sign Brazilian superstar Neymar this summer, with owner Todd Boehly preparing for another huge outlay in the upcoming transfer window. The Mirror write that Paris Saint-Germain are open to selling Neymar, following his six-year stint in the French capital. The 31 year old was signed from Barcelona by the Qatari-backed outfit in 2017, for a world-record €222 million, and has been pivotal in four Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups since then.