Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of signing a free agent for manager Enzo Maresca, with the player leaving his club this summer and now readily available for hire.
Chelsea continue transfer plans after Club World Cup deadline
The Blues couldn’t get some high-profile deals signed and sealed in time before the pre-Club World Cup deadline, which passed on Tuesday at 7pm, but they could still add new players to the tournament’s squad thanks to a unique registration window open from June 27 to July 3.
"World-class" ace wants to leave Chelsea, many clubs now phoning his agent
The Blues also want to sell.
ByEmilio GalantiniJun 13, 2025
This does exclude winger Jamie Gittens, though, due to the fact he’ll be registered as a Borussia Dortmund player for the Club World Cup.
Cole Palmer
7.33
Moises Caicedo
7.02
Enzo Fernández
6.95
Nicolas Jackson
6.88
Noni Madueke
6.82
via WhoScored
However, regardless of not being able to participate for Chelsea at the tournament in any aspect, if they do eventually strike a deal, club director Sebastien Kehl confirmed in an interview this week that Chelsea will hold transfer talks for the 20-year-old again.
“We spoke on the phone, in the end we did not agree, because we have different ideas about the current value of the player,” he said to Tage Spiegel.
“Jamie definitely makes our team better. We are glad that he is there. We are in a good exchange and see how things are shaping in the future.
“Of course, at some point, if you take a player with it, you also have to sell. I assume that his market value will not fall. We will see to what extent we can keep it until the end of the tournament. There will be talks again.”
Alongside Gittens, Chelsea are believed to be prioritising new attacking additions right now, which includes a new winger, versatile attacking midfielder and another new striker after Liam Delap (Simon Phillips).
They could also add to their large crop of promising youngsters, following deals for Geovany Quenda, Dario Essugo and 19-year-old defender Mamadou Sarr from sister club Strasbourg in the last six months.
Chelsea close to finalising deal for ex-PNE defender Kian Best
According to a report from EFL Analysis, Chelsea want to sign former Preston North End left-back Kian Best on a free transfer.
The teenage defender was a “shock” departure from Deepdale this summer and is free to talk to clubs, which has piqued interest from Stamford Bridge officials who are now looking to bring Best to Cobham.
It is believed Chelsea are “close to finalising” a deal for Best after opening talks, with Maresca’s side pushing to make it happen. The England Under-19 international could then go out on loan to sister club Strasbourg to further his development.
Despite interest from Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, Best is on the verge of a move to Chelsea instead, and he’s been called “different class” by the manager who gave him his senior debut in 2023.
“His intelligence, passing range and quality on the ball is different class,” said former PNE boss Ryan Lowe.
“I think you only have to look at my record, I won’t hesitate to put them in regardless of how old they are. He’s definitely deserved a place in the team so far.”
