Simons omitted from the team amid Chelsea negotiations

Eight signings are already in the bag, and by the end of the transfer window, there could be as many as ten—if not more. At Stamford Bridge, it seems Chelsea are determined to challenge the record for the most money spent in a single transfer window—464 million euros, a record already set in West London two years ago—as rumors about targets, ambitions, and end-of-summer plans continue to swirl across England. According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea want both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho. One deal doesn’t cancel out the other, and the Blues are determined to bring in two more marquee players before September 1.

Despite being dropped from Manchester United’s first team, Chelsea aren't worried about the unpredictable temperament of the Argentine winger. The club has reportedly already carried out a series of detailed background checks to ensure he is the right fit. This "investigation" involved evaluating his mental makeup, character, and personality. It’s no secret that Garnacho has been on Chelsea’s wishlist for a while—rumors first emerged last January—but at that time, a transfer wasn’t realistic. This August, however, that interest hasn’t faded. Even after spending nearly 300 million on signings already, Chelsea are ready to make a move. For the deal to happen, Manchester United would first need to secure the transfer of Benjamin Šeško, but more importantly, Chelsea will need to offload several players to make room financially for another big-money signing. The rumored fee for Garnacho is around 50 million euros.

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Chelsea recently signed Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Dortmund for nearly 65 million, and it seems the club’s leadership plans for Garnacho to be his direct competition. Currently, the only other option on the left wing is Tyrique George, who will likely go out on loan, while Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended due to doping violations and is no longer considered a key part of the squad. Garnacho’s desire is to stay in the Premier League, even though clubs outside England have also shown interest. Aston Villa is rumored to have made the most serious approach so far, but Garnacho reportedly wants to play in the Champions League and challenge for the title—making Chelsea his top choice.

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As for Xavi Simons, Chelsea have not yet submitted an official bid but want to agree personal terms with a player. There are also indications that the Blues want to include a player in the deal to lower the fixed fee. However, Leipzig has rejected all such proposals. Players reportedly discussed include Armando Broja, Tyrique George, and Carney Chukwuemeka, who has also been linked with Dortmund. The German club is said to be demanding around 65 million for Simons. Latest reports claim that the player almost agreed with the Blues and the clearest indication that things are moving into the right direction is the fact that Leipzig didn’t include both Simons and Sesko into the squad which will face Atalanta in a pre-season friendly.  

Chelsea aren’t backing down on either target and reportedly have a risky but potentially rewarding plan in place. Specifically, for Garnacho, the idea is to wait until the final days of the window to try and negotiate the price down with Manchester United. Both deals combined would cost Chelsea at least another 110 million. When added to the previously spent 290 million on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao, Dario Essugo, Jorrel Hato, Mamadou Sarr (loaned to Strasbourg), and Kendry Paez, that would total a clean 400 million. That would be the second-largest single-window spending spree in football history!