A UEFA report from March revealed that Chelsea’s squad at the end of the 2024 financial year was the most expensive in history in terms of transfer fees. This should surprise no one. Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took control in the summer of 2022, the “Blues” have signed 41 players in six transfer windows, with a combined cost of 1.6 billion euros.
Much of this money has been used to sign some of the best young players in the world with long-term contracts, such as Moisés Caicedo (€116 million, Brighton), Romeo Lavia (€62.1 million, Southampton) and Cole Palmer (€47 million, Manchester City). However, there are also many players who have only made a few appearances in the first team, including Lesley Ugochukwu (€27 million, Rennes), Mathis Amougou (€15 million, Saint-Étienne), Deivid Washington (€16 million, Santos) and Renato Veiga (€14 million, FC Basel).
One might think that Chelsea’s spending would decrease after so many signings, but you would be wrong.
At least seven young footballers will arrive at Stamford Bridge in the summers of 2025 and 2026, after agreeing to their transfers, and more could arrive. Here we take a look at some players that Chelsea might want to sign, as well as vital information about those who have already committed their future to the club.
Data on transfers taken from Transfermarkt.
Which players should they sign next?
Franco Mastantuono, 17 years old, AM, River Plate
River Plate’s young prospect went viral last week after scoring the first goal in the Superclásico against Boca Juniors with an impressive direct free kick. Although the left-footed Mastantuono shares some similarities with the players who will arrive at Chelsea, Estêvão and Kendry Páez, an obsessive dribbler with obscene natural ability, the Argentina under-20 international tends to play further back and in the center, resembling more a classic number 10.
As recent history has taught us, technical profiles similar to those already in the squad do not necessarily deter Chelsea. Therefore, with Mastantuono turning 18 in mid-August, a battle for his signing is expected in the next window for his release clause of 45 million euros, as Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Inter Milan have him on their radar.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, 17 years old, CM, Lille
Bouaddi is not yet an undisputed starter at Lille, but he has made a name for himself this season and stood out in the club’s impressive UEFA Champions League campaign. The French Under-21 international is arguably best as a box-to-box midfielder, but can play in a deeper role or even behind the center forward.
A brilliant passer and dribbler, Bouaddi always looks to have the ball and is not afraid to take responsibility for creative moves despite his young age. He is also strong in the defensive aspect of the game, recovering possession through tackles (4.15 per 90 minutes) or duels (5.5 successful per 90 minutes). Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have been linked with a 30 million euro transfer, but he will not be able to leave until January 2026 at the earliest.
Konstantinos Karetsas, 17 years old, AM, Racing Genk
Karetsas was quickly promoted to Genk’s first team after Bilal El Khannouss’s departure to Leicester City, and the two are quite similar in style, although Karetsas perhaps has an even higher ceiling. In fact, he immediately felt at home in the Belgian league, competing for a starting position before turning 17 in November, and recently switched his sporting nationality to Greece, a few months after debuting for Belgium’s U21 team, the country where he was born.
Karetsas is a creative playmaker and an efficient dribbler who thrives in the central space between defensive lines and has recorded 2.5 key passes per 90 minutes this season. Although he has only scored three goals, that figure is likely to grow, as he shoots well with his left foot. His skills have already caught the attention of some of the elite European clubs (including Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Man United and Newcastle) and his transfer could reach a figure above the 25 million euros that Leicester spent to sign El Khannouss.
Chris Rigg, 17 years old, CM, Sunderland
A year ago, Rigg was the subject of great interest when his contract was about to expire. In the end, he decided to sign a three-year contract, but if fourth-placed Sunderland fails to achieve promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs at the end of the season, the race for the England Under-19s midfielder will be back on.
Rigg, who usually plays as a box-to-box number 8 or as a number 10 behind the striker, has a unique set of skills: on the one hand, he is a creative midfielder, excellent at finding spaces between the lines and delivering a lethal pass, while on the other hand he possesses the tenacity, dynamism and work rate of a classic defensive midfielder. And that has not gone unnoticed by clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton.
Saba Kharebashvili, 16 years old, LB/LWB, Dinamo Tbilisi
Signing young players from Georgia may sound exotic, but Chelsea have already shown their willingness to look further afield, as you’ll see below. Dinamo Tbilisi has a long history of developing elite talent: PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili are two recent examples, in addition to 17-year-old striker Vakhtang Salia heading to Newcastle, making it a potentially rewarding place to scout for the next generation.
Kharebashvili has been part of Dinamo’s first team for over a year and has been a starter since the age of 15. Although he can play roles in midfield, the Georgian U-19 international has settled at left-back and has stood out for his excellent attitude, his solid defensive performances, his progressive passes and an offensive mentality that makes him produce well-executed crosses and backward passes. Originally from outside the EU, Kharebashvili will not be able to opt for an international transfer before January 2027, but he will not lack suitors.
Who have they already signed?
Chelsea already has a crop of young players arriving from all over the world, but you may not know much about them.
For example, Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos signed for Vasco da Gama for 21 million euros in 2023, but has been on loan again at Vasco, Nottingham Forest (where he only made one appearance) and then was at Chelsea’s feeder club, Strasbourg, last season. He could aim for a place in the first team, but in the meantime, Aaron Anselmino (16.5 million euros, Boca Juniors), Omari Kellyman (22.5 million euros, Aston Villa) and Caleb Wiley (10.5 million euros, Atlanta United) have yet to debut in the first team.
The club has already spent a significant amount of money for the next two seasons and, although it is possible that some of the following will never wear the Chelsea shirt, spending all their time on loan before moving elsewhere, this is what you need to know about them anyway.
Arrivals in 2025
Estêvão, 18 years old, FW, Palmeiras – 34 million euros
After participating in more than 70 first-team matches with Palmeiras, with four caps for Brazil, Estêvão is already more than a player with potential and secured the 19th position in this year’s under-21 ranking despite his age. In fact, many professional scouts consider him a future world-class superstar.
Right winger, he has exceptional ability in one-on-one situations, with intuitive turns and high-speed dribbling, as well as a brilliant left-footed strike and a natural understanding of where to find space. Although there are aspects to work on, such as his pressing and his ability to impact throughout the match, his natural mobility and talent should make him very exciting to watch.
Chances of playing in the first team next season? High. He’s too exciting a player to give up on and his experience in the first team in Brazil should allow him to make his first appearances in the Premier League.
Dário Essugo, 20 years old, CM, Sporting CP – €22.2 million
Essugo’s arrival went unnoticed, as it was related to the signing of full-back Geovany Quenda in a double deal worth 74 million euros. Essugo has struggled to get minutes at Sporting, so he has been on loan at Las Palmas this season, but some will remember that he became the youngest Portuguese player to participate in the Champions League when he made a brief cameo against Ajax in December 2021 (aged 16 years and 268 days).
Primarily a defensive midfielder, the Portuguese U-21 international stands out for winning the ball back, plugging gaps in midfield, tracking attacking runs, and pressing duties. He also loves to make tackles, perhaps excessively, as he has received two red cards with Las Palmas since the beginning of the year.
Chances of playing in the first team next season? Few. A loan seems likely given the number of midfielders the club has.
Kendry Páez, 18 years old, AM, Independiente del Valle – 10 million euros
Páez has been on the radar of top European clubs since the age of 12. He scored on his professional debut for Independiente del Valle at 15 and accumulated 17 senior international appearances for Ecuador before turning 18, a record that has surpassed Diego Maradona’s for Argentina and is only behind Lamine Yamal’s of Spain worldwide.
Chelsea formally agreed a deal to sign him two years ago, when he was 16, and Páez has continued to impress since then. Considered by many scouts to be a generational talent, his reputation is not far off that of Estêvão and the two are similar in style. Páez is a left-footed attacking midfielder with excellent dribbling skills who enjoys showcasing his quick changes of direction, feints, and bold and entertaining tricks. He prefers to receive the ball in the space between the defense and midfield, either centrally or slightly to the right, and loves to test the goalkeeper with shots from distance.
Chances of playing in the first team next season? Few. Given that his profile is relatively similar to Estêvão’s, a loan is the most likely option.
Mike Penders, 19 years old, GK, Genk – 20 million euros
Signed at the end of last summer’s transfer window, Penders joins Chelsea’s abundant squad of eight first-team goalkeepers (Robert Sánchez, Filip Jörgensen, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic, Lucas Bergstrom, Eddie Beach, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Gaga Slonina) in July. The Belgium U19 international will have a lot of competition, but he is highly regarded in the scouting world and his height of 1.80 meters and his international nationality have led to inevitable comparisons with Real Madrid’s number 1, Thibaut Courtois.
Penders has made a good impression in his debut season as a semi-regular for Genk, showing reliable distribution, good reflexes, and being quick to come off his line to intercept danger. Given his stature, his lack of mobility in certain areas must be compensated for with expert positioning and a good understanding of the game, although his short passing is a work in progress.
Chances of playing in the first team next season? Possible. Sánchez and Jörgensen haven’t covered themselves in glory this season, so coach Enzo Maresca might be tempted to give Penders the first opportunities if he proves his passing is up to par.
Arrivals in 2026
Geovany Quenda, 17 years old, RB/RW, Sporting CP – €52.1 million
Although he still awaits his absolute international recognition with Portugal, Quenda is considered one of the best under-18 talents in the world and the “Blues” did well to sign him from under the noses of Manchester United. A pure winger, with his main strengths in the offensive phase, the Portuguese under-21 international has shone in a right-back role unfamiliar to Sporting. But, regardless of where he plays, his characteristic skills don’t change much: relentless dribbling in wide areas, the willingness to take on opponents and the eagerness to prepare combination passes with his teammates as he advances towards the area.
Denner, 17 years old, LB, Corinthians – 10 million euros
Denner was signed by Chelsea following his promising performances at youth level for club and country and will join from Corinthians when he turns 18 in 2026. Arguably one of the lesser-known signings for the West London side since their search for the next crop of global talents took shape, Denner is reputed to be a strong, tenacious left-back with a relentless attacking instinct.
Destan Satpaev, 16 years old, ST, Kairat Almaty – 2.4 million euros
Aggressive, explosive, robust, and very active center forward, Satpaev first sparked excitement among scouts after some promising performances in the UEFA Youth League. He shoots exceptionally well with both feet and seems to thrive on goals, as should be the case for all good forwards. This season he has scored six goals in five starts for Kairat in the Kazakh league and became the youngest debutant for Kazakhstan (at 16 years, 7 months and 10 days) in the World Cup qualifiers in March. Although he plays in a comparatively weak league, his initial impact has been astonishing.
