Premier League rules have now potentially cost Chelsea millions of pounds

Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda have also joined the club, but deals for the duo were already agreed last year.

Right now, the Blues’ priority seems to be selling players. They recently sold Andrey Santos to Manchester United, while Marc Cucurella moved to Real Madrid last month. Chelsea got good money for both but perhaps could have got more for the latter if they waited until the World Cup was finished.

Who would you rather see at left-back next season, Jorrel Hato or Lewis Hall?

Hall is being linked with a return to Chelsea following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid 🇪🇸

Marc Cucurella’s value has gone up since PSR sale on 15 June

Chelsea sold Cucurella to Real Madrid for around £52m in mid-June, clearly for reasons related to the Premier League’s PSR rules.

Had Chelsea sold Cucurella after 30 June, they would not have been able to put the money they made from his transfer on their books for 2025–26 financial year.

The Blues did what they had to do to avoid any trouble with the Premier League or UEFA. However, it is a shame, as Cucurella’s value has probably gone up now after his performances at the World Cup.

He has been excellent throughout the tournament, helping Spain to reach the final. One Spanish newspaper described Cucurella as a “beast” following his display against France on Tuesday night.

From a football perspective, Chelsea should not have sold Cucurella for any price. He is one of the best full-backs in the world.

But his contract situation, desire to leave and Chelsea’s need to balance the books meant a sale was necessary in the end.

In terms of potential replacements, Chelsea are interested in Pep Chavarria, but they have hit a snag in their attempts to sign the Rayo Vallecano star.

Palestra can also play on the left, but you would expect Chelsea to sign a specialist left-back after losing one of Cucurella’s quality.