Before we start, understand that this isn’t a piece about Thomas Tuchel’s tactics, his football philosophy, or a formation that Chelsea just have to play next season. If that’s what you’d like to read, close this article if you wish, and hey, no hard feelings. I’m a big boy, I can take it. This, is a piece about Chelsea’s recruitment (or lack thereof), poor squad building, and inability to plan for the future.

Still here? Good.

Now, are Chelsea in trouble? Well, you tell me.

Let’s fast forward to opening day, as Chelsea travel to Goodison Park with a backline of Édouard Mendy, Marcos Alonso, Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, and Reece James. Ahead, a midfield pivot of Jorginho and Mateo Kovačić, while a front-3 of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Raheem Sterling fill out the attack.

Now, ask yourself. Does that scream “title-challengers” to you? In fact, at this point, does it even scream “Top-4”?

Slowly and surely, this will be Chelsea’s reality. Another battle, another race, and another frantic attempt at securing a Top-4 spot is on the horizon for Chelsea. If you think I’m overreacting, I’m not, and the facts back me up. We’re only 10 days away from the start of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, and Chelsea have made a grand total of two signings. Two. Signings. A club that lost two of their starting central defenders, has no depth at fullback, doesn’t have a true defensive-midfielder, and who’s leading goalscorer last season was a midfielder being played out of position, has made…two signings.

Manchester City and Liverpool are the elite of the elite, and won’t be caught by Chelsea anytime soon, regardless of any new signings. That much, we know.

But, Tottenham Hotspur have just backed a former Premier League winning manager with five new players, three of whom are 25 years old or under. Arsenal, who finished a mere 5 points behind Chelsea last season, have improved in every department on the pitch, and have stolen Gabriel Jesus from right under Chelsea’s noses. And lastly, Manchester United (who Chelsea failed to defeat on both meetings last year) just can’t possibly be worse than last season. It’s not hard to see that Chelsea’s gap on the rest of the Premier League’s Top-6 is shrinking, and fast.

Chelsea don’t appear to be working hard to extend that gap either, having only spent £85M (a figure just below Leeds United) in the transfer market so far. Now, £85M certainly isn’t a figure to scoff at, but with so many needs at Chelsea, it’s just not enough. And in terms of outgoings, the situation is arguably worse. We’re nearing August, and players like Timo Werner, Michy Batshuayi, Hakim Ziyech, Marcos Alonso, Malang Sarr, and César Azpilicueta don’t look an inch closer to leaving the club.

The club’s inability to compete with other clubs in the market is laughable, as is their reluctance to send unwanted players away on the cheap. The fact remains that a number of key positions on the pitch remain unaddressed, and as of today, the squad going into next season is significantly worse than last season.

And yet, as if the football gods have handed Chelsea a lifeline, the window somehow remains salvageable. Even this late into summer, there are still plenty of options left in the market at reasonable price points for Chelsea.

Take Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana, who at 21-years-old would be an incredible addition to Thomas Tuchel’s defence. Barcelona’s Sergiño Dest and Atalanta’s Joakim Mæhle are both available for roughly £20M each, and provide wingback depth on either flank for Chelsea. Pedro Neto of Wolves and Michael Olise of Crystal Palace would cost a pretty penny, but would also bring much needed quality to Chelsea’s front-three. It’s easy to see that there are clear, viable options on the market in positions of need for Chelsea, all of whom would improve the squad greatly. If I can identify these targets with relative ease, then why can’t Chelsea?

Chelsea’s options don’t end there though, as they need not look further than their own academy for solutions. Armando Broja, Billy Gilmour, Connor Gallagher, and Levi Colwill are four of the Premier League’s brightest talents, but only one looks set to stay at Chelsea this season. Why? At their absolute worst, these players have shown that they’re Premier League level. All four would serve as incredible depth to Chelsea’s squad, bringing youth, hunger, and most importantly, quality. So, I ask again, why? Why are these players being pushed out of the first-team in favor of older, less talented players, most of whom don’t even want to be here? Why is the club’s future being mortgaged for the slimmest of chances at short-term success? These are the questions Chelsea fans need to be asking, before it’s too late.

Years of squad mismanagement, poor transfer recruitment, and constant managerial change have culminated into the perfect storm over West London. It’s safe to say new ownership was ill-prepared for the ins-and-outs of the transfer market, particularly in getting big names through the door. So far, Chelsea’s business this summer has been, in a word, embarrassing. The club has failed to resolve any number of problems on the pitch, most which have been a concern for months.

But again, I must reiterate that there are options, there are solutions, and there are ways out of this mess. Most of which, at least to me, seem fairly obvious. 3 players in, 3 players out, make the most of the talent farm that is Cobham, and suddenly Chelsea look a serious threat once again.

So, are Chelsea in trouble? For now, yes.

But, is there a way out? Absolutely.