Chelsea’s summer transfers 2025: Enzo Maresca’s £280m rebuild with Joao Pedro, Estevao, and Alejandro Garnacho

Enzo Maresca’s second phase of the Chelsea rebuild entered a critical stage with the 2025 summer transfer window.

Backed by the unique model of BlueCo, Chelsea made a series of new additions, focusing on both immediate needs and long-term potential.

They made a number of first-team additions focusing mainly on attack.

Chelsea’s attacking reinforcements: Joao Pedro, Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho

The club wasted no time in strengthening the attack ahead of the Premier League campaign. Having qualified for the Club World Cup, Chelsea needed fresh options upfront and brought in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap from Brighton and Ipswich respectively. 

Pedro made an immediate impact scoring two in the semi-final of the Club World Cup and a goal in the final to seal the win. 

Another significant arrival was of Estevao, an 18-year-old Brazilian forward from Palmeiras. The deal for the exciting youngster had been agreed the previous summer. Estevao finally joined the club ahead of the 2025/26 season with add-ons potentially taking the total fee to over £50 million. 

Also joining the attack was Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United for approximately £40 million. But that wasn’t the only attacking reinforcement on the wings for Chelsea. They also sealed the deal for Jamie Gittens for £52 million from Borussia Dortmund. 

Stockpiling that much attacking depth gives Chelsea a real chance to take the next step under Maresca.

Chelsea’s defensive recruitment: Jorrel Hato picks the Blues

On the other side of the pitch, Chelsea managed to secure the signing of the highly-rated Jorrel Hato from Ajax. They beat off competition from Arsenal and Liverpool to sign the young defender who can play multiple positions across the backline. 

Apart from that, Chelsea were also in the market for a young defensive midfielder, and got Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon. 

Despite a serious injury to Levi Colwill, the club failed to add more quality defensive cover. 19-year-old Mamadou Sarr did complete his move from Strasbourg but went back on loan to Ligue 1. 

Chelsea’s record breaking sales as Nicolas Jackson drama unfolds on Deadline Day

The Blues also managed to break the Premier League record for most sales in a single transfer window. They became the first Premier League club to bank over £300 million from player sales, with some very high-profile departures.

Here is a table of Chelsea’s player departures for the 2025/26 season based on the information I found.

Noni Madueke joined Arsenal, while Christopher Nkunku sealed a permanent move to AC Milan. Al Nassr got the Portuguese forward, Joao Felix, for an initial £26.2 million and a further £17.5 million in add-ons. 

Meanwhile, Burnley paid Chelsea over £50 million for Lesley Ugochukwu, Bashir Humphreys and Armando Broja. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Djordje Petrovic, Kepa and Marcus Bettinelli all departed for Premier League moves, as well.

The biggest drama, though, came right at the end of the transfer window. Chelsea had agreed to a loan for Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich, only to pull out in dramatic circumstances. Liam Delap went off injured and Chelsea called it off as Jackson was about to undergo medical in Munich. 

Ultimately, common sense prevailed, as the two clubs agreed on different terms on deadline day. Jackson got his move and Bayern agreed to a loan with an obligation worth over £70 million for the striker. 

With a busy summer window behind them, the attention turns to on-field performances. How will Chelsea fare in the Premier League? Can Enzo Maresca build on his Club World Cup success?