Chelsea have been the most active team on the transfer market since Todd Boehly took over the club in 2022, but, for the most part, Blues’ fans have been treated to poor results.
There were signs of improvement last season, though, because Chelsea brought in two players who were legitimately among the best at their respective positions in the Premier League.
Cole Palmer is legitimately a Premier League Player of the Season candidate, while right back Malo Gusto ranks among the best right backs on the planet right now.
Chelsea finished well outside the top four for yet another season, but with the right moves, there is optimism that the London-based club can get back to European football’s premier competition.
Here are the 10 best overall players Chelsea could sign in the summer 2024 transfer window.
Crystal Palace RW Michael Olise
Michael Olise appears to be Chelsea’s top transfer target, as the Blues are pushing harder than Newcastle and Manchester United in order to sign the world-class Crystal Palace right winger.
The one thing that could complicate Olise joining Chelsea is the notion that his 60 million pound release clause may only be able to be triggered by Champions League clubs.
Chelsea did not qualify for the Champions League again next season, but if they are willing to spend a little bit more than other clubs and convince Olise on the project, that clause issue could play to their advantage and give them a leg up on the other interested parties.
The Blues already secured the signing of right wing prospect Estevao Willian, but with Noni Madueke not established and the subject of transfer rumors of his own, Chelsea could look to pair Willian with a more sure-fire option in Olise.
Last season, Olise showed why he is one of the best wingers in the Premier League and in the world as a whole, scoring 10 goals with 6 assists in fewer than 1,300 Premier League minutes while averaging 4.4 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game.
Stuttgart ST Serhou Guirassy
Serhou Guirassy is himself headed to the Champions League next season after firing home 28 goals for Stuttgart as the main man up top, combining with Deniz Undav and Chris Fuhrich to form one of the best attacks in the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old has an even more tantalizing release clause for Chelsea to peruse, as he could be signed from Die Schwaben for less than 20 million euros.
Chelsea need an out-and-out, goal-scoring No. 9 ahead of the mercurial Nicolas Jackson, and an inexpensive, effective veteran signing like Guirassy could be the right man to pair with Jackson at the 9.
Bayer Leverkusen ST Victor Boniface
Victor Boniface is a captivating striker transfer target for Chelsea to monitor, though he will be difficult to pry from Bayer Leverkusen after their successful Champions League qualification as the undefeated champions of Germany.
Leverkusen just recently purchased Boniface from the Belgian top flight, too, but if Chelsea can put the right offer on the table to both Die Werkself and Boniface, then the burgeoning star could make his way to Stamford Bridge.
Boniface is one of the most exciting strikers on the planet, showing genuine world-class talent in his first season in Leverkusen with 14 goals and 8 assists in only 1,554 Bundesliga minutes while averaging two full dribbles completed per game.
Effective and capable of creating his own chances, Boniface could be the next big thing in world football at striker at the age of 23.
Napoli LW Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia already arrived as the next big thing in world football in the 2022/23 season, when he inspired Napoli to a no-doubt Serie A title win for the first time since Diego Armando Maradona graced the city of Naples.
That earned the Georgian sensation the moniker “Kvaradona”, as clubs like Juventus rued the missed opportunity to secure the MVP of Serie A.
Although Chelsea have mostly been linked with Kvaratskhelia’s Napoli teammate Victor Osimhen, the winger is both younger and better than the striker and comes without the same injury question marks.
Kvaratskhelia would also cost well over 100 million euros, but he would be a sure-fire starter for Chelsea, usurping Mykhaylo Mudryk as Enzo Maresca’s left winger of choice.
RB Leipzig ST Lois Openda
The Bundesliga is rife with great striker options, as per usual, and RB Leipzig star Lois Openda is one player Chelsea should not underrate this summer if he becomes available.
Leipzig are holding onto Benjamin Sesko, who is a clinical 21-year-old goal-scorer with previous interest from both Chelsea and rivals Arsenal.
Sesko staying could potentially make Openda more likely to go, though Leipzig would surely want to hold onto the former Ligue 1 standout they just signed last season.
Openda scored 24 goals with 7 assists last season, showing an ability to wreak havoc on the ball, create chances with his dribbling skills, and finish with the best strikers in Europe.
Torino CB Alessandro Buongiorno
Center back isn’t a priority position for Chelsea on the summer 2024 transfer market, but Torino star Alessandro Buongiorno is on the Blues’ radar and could intrigue them, especially if they can steal away the Serie A breakout star for less than 40 million euros.
Torino already produced one great central defender for Juventus to pluck away in Gleison Bremer, and, if Buongiorn’s 2023/24 campaign is anything to go off, the Italian international could be just as good.
Buongiorno averaged 2.4 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game while being dribbled past just 0.3 times per match. He even added three goals, making him one of the most effective center backs in European football last season.
Barcelona CM Frenkie de Jong
The jury is still out on Frenkie de Jong’s future at Barcelona, as there are conflicting reports regarding the Dutchman’s place at the Spotify Camp Nou under new manager Hansi Flick.
De Jong was one of the best midfielders in European football during the 2022/23 season when Barcelona won LaLiga, putting it all together as a box-to-box midfielder and vastly upgrading his defensive output.
If Barcelona view de Jong as expendable in their efforts to raise funds for a new defensive midfielder and left winger, then Chelsea could pounce on the opportunity to bring the high-risk, high-reward midfielder into the fold.
De Jong could join Chelsea as a technical upgrade on Conor Gallagher, though he will have to prove he is better than Gallagher after the England international outplayed him in 2023/24.
Manchester City ST Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez’s future at Manchester City suddenly seems unsettled, with Chelsea potentially having the opportunity to sign the Argentinian star this summer.
A successful summer 2022 signing in the same window as Erling Haaland, Alvarez has been in the Norwegian star’s shadow but did bust out of a little in the first half of the 2023/24 season as a playmaker with Kevin De Bruyne injured.
Alvarez was exceptional for the Citizens, as the clinical finisher from River Plate suddenly looked very much at home as a dangerous, playmaking 10.
In total, Alvarez finished the 2023/24 season with 11 goals and 9 assists for the Premier League champions, averaging two key passes per game as one of the top playmakers in English football.
Chelsea could use a world-class striker like Alvarez, who is entering his prime at the age of 24. His ability to create chances will be welcomed with open arms by the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, and Mykhaylo Mudryk in the attack.
Girona DM Aleix Garcia
Virtually ever major club should be interested in signing Aleix Garcia, who could prove to be one of the big transfer steals this summer at around 20 million euros.
Garcia is coming off another exemplary season in the middle of the park for Girona, who challenged Real Madrid for the LaLiga crown at one point last season.
A breakout star in 2022/23 when Girona were promoted to LaLiga, Garcia averaged 2.1 key passes per game with 2.2 combined tackles and interceptions per match.
Garcia then upped his goals and assists to three and six, respectively, in 2023/24, posting similar defensive numbers to maintain his status as one of the best defensive midfielders in world football.
Chelsea have received mixed results from high-priced defensive midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, so they would jump at the opportunity to sign an even better player for much, much less.
Garcia certainly has both Caicedo and Fernandez beat in the consistency department.
Brest LB Bradley Locko
Chelsea have two world-class right backs in Reece James and Malo Gusto, but they could use another option on the left flank who has significantly more to offer than Marc Cucurella or the injury-prone Ben Chilwell.
Bradley Locko was one of the best players in Ligue 1 at any position last season, dominating the left flank in his first season with Brest as one of the bargains of the summer at 500,000 euros from Stade de Reims.
That season with Brest could end up being his only season with Brest, because every top club in Europe should be all over the sensational 22-year-old.
Locko’s numbers jump off the screen. He had three assists, averaged three combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game, completed over 85 percent of his passes, and put up more than four combined tackles and interceptions per match.
There are very few weaknesses to Locko’s game as a young, left-sided wide player, and he is clearly a considerably better player than Cucurella and even Chilwell already.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.