Chelsea ‘groundwork’ CONFIRMED as Maresca set for summer spending spree

Chelsea have been tipped to sign a new forward this summer after doing “a lot of groundwork” during the January transfer window.

Saint-Etienne midfielder Mathis Amougou was the only new arrival at Stamford Bridge this winter, with Enzo Maresca’s side unable to finalise deals for the likes of Alejandro Garnacho or Liam Delap.

The Athletic have confirmed that Chelsea were eager to sign a winger and a striker in January, but the club weren’t willing to pay over the odds to sign reinforcements mid-season.

READ MORE: Maresca pleads for Chelsea ‘patience’ as fans demand new striker

Instead, the Blues conducted meaningful talks for a number of targets and are now well-positioned to sign a new forward this summer, as per The Athletic.

Nicolas Jackson is without a goal in his last eight appearances, while Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto have only notched a combined tally of 11 Premier League goals so far this campaign.

As a result, Chelsea are determined to sign at least one new forward this summer and they are reportedly well-placed to complete a number of high-profile deals.

READ MORE: Premier League January transfers 2025 – All the Done Deals

Chelsea prioritise departures in January

Although Chelsea were relatively quiet on the incoming front in January, a host of players were allowed to depart the club.

Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Joao Felix, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Caleb Wiley, Alex Matos and Jimmy-Jay Morgan were all loaned out, while Cesare Casadei and Harvey Vale were sold to Torino and QPR respectively.

After his side’s 2-1 win over West Ham United on Monday, Maresca was asked for his thoughts on Chelsea’s transfer business during the January window.

“Everything that happened was planned from me, from the club, from all together,” he told reporters.

“I’m very happy because (the window) is closed. The ones that are here are the ones that are going to be with us until the end. The ones that left, we all agreed that they could go.”

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, having picked up 43 points from their opening 24 matches.