Chelsea spent big this summer, bringing in the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell as Frank Lampard looked to significantly improve his squad.
The Blues now look in better shape to challenge at the top of the Premier League after last season’s fourth-place finish.
But there remain areas of the squad that Lampard will want to address, with players potentially leaving next year.
We have looked at potential targets whose contracts expire at the end of the season, and who could save Chelsea millions in the transfer market.
David Alaba
Alaba has been consistently brilliant for years now, an incredibly versatile player who would improve every team in Europe. But he is yet to agree a new contract with Bayern Munich, despite 12 years of service to the club.
The Bundesliga champions will not want to lose Alaba, though there will likely be plenty of suitors.
Chelsea, who were linked with the Austria international this summer, are likely to be one of them. Chilwell has been signed at left-back, of course, but Alaba is equally adept as a centre-back or central midfielder.
In fact, there are very few positions he hasn’t played in and at 28 years old he is still in his prime, with years ahead of him at the very top of the European game.
It seems unlikely that Bayern will allow Alaba’s contract to run right down, but at a potentially discounted price he is almost too good a player to turn down.
Juan Bernat
With Emerson and Marcos Alonso expected to move on, Chelsea will require another left-back to cover for Chilwell.
Alaba, as previously mentioned, would do that job as well as being versatile enough to play in several other positions.
But if he is unavailable, Chelsea might turn to Bernat who is in the final year of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
The 27-year-old has plenty of experience of winning titles and competing in the latter stages of the Champions League, having played for Bayern before his move to the French capital.
His signing would put the Blues in a much stronger position in terms of depth at left-back.
Jerome Boateng
Another Bayern defender with vast experience, Boateng’s time in Bavaria seems to be coming to an end.
He may yet extend his stay with Bayern, but the German champions are rarely sentimental when it comes to moving on older players.
Boateng was still a regular in the side last season as Hansi Flick’s side stormed to the Bundesliga and Champions League titles.
Chelsea might feel they are covered at centre-back following the arrival of Thiago Silva but adding Boateng on a free transfer certainly wouldn’t hurt their strength in depth.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Chelsea have been linked with a move for Donnarumma, whose contract dispute at Milan continues.
The Italian giants want to keep the 21-year-old goalkeeper, but as things stand, he will be moving on at the end of the season.
Donnarumma, despite his youth, has been a regular at Milan since 2015, and by now is relatively experienced, certainly compared to other players of his age.
That will appeal to Chelsea, who are likely to be searching for a Kepa Arrizabalaga replacement. The 26-year-old Spaniard, signed for £72m two years ago, has now lost his place in Lampard’s side to new arrival Edouard Mendy.
Donnarumma, if available on a free transfer, would arrive to compete with Mendy and eventually become Chelsea’s No.1.
Marten de Roon
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante were both the subject of interest from elsewhere before the close of the transfer window, and it is not inconceivable that Chelsea will be in the market for a new midfielder next summer.
De Roon, once of Middlesbrough, has seen his career flourish over the last couple of years with Atalanta.
The Dutchman was influential last season as his side reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League – narrowly losing out to PSG – and challenged for the Serie A title.
He is 29 now and although not the most glamorous of players, De Roon, out of contract in 2021, would be a clever addition if he available.
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