Chelsea set to sanction transfer after 'guarantees' as Enzo Maresca holds £52m talks

Chelsea remain busy in the summer transfer window as Enzo Maresca prepares for a return to Champions League football.

The Blues have enjoyed a successful last three months, both in the transfer market and on the pitch. They lifted the UEFA Conference League towards the end of May and topped off a superb summer with a Club World Cup triumph.

In terms of ins and outs, Chelsea have been one of the most active clubs. They’ve signed a number of players, including Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, who Maresca could utilise in the Club World Cup.

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Following their final win over PSG, the Blues signed Jamie Gittens for £53m and have today confirmed the arrival of Jorrel Hato in a deal worth £37m.

It marks a clear statement of intent by Maresca ahead of a Premier Leaguecampaign where Chelsea are firmly in the conversation as potential title challengers - but their transfer business doesn't appear to be over.

With several players linked with moves to and from Stamford Bridge, football.london has the latest headlines covered.

Guiu set for transfer

19-year-old Marc Guiu is close to sealing a loan move to Sunderland for next season. The Spaniard scored six goals last season for the Blues, including a hat-trick in the Conference League.

With Maresca’s attacking options already stacked, with the likes of Delap, Pedro, and Nicolas Jackson, Guiu's game time was expected to be limited. A loan move seemed the ideal solution, and it now looks close to completion.

“It looked like Ipswich at one stage, which looked kind of really good,” Telegraph journalist Matt Law told the London is Blue podcast. “But now it looks more likely Sunderland. It seems talks are quite advanced.

"Chelsea will try to get as many guarantees as possible that he’s going to play X amount of games or be involved enough, but you can never be sure of those supposed guarantees.

“It’s an interesting one for sure—if he played [for Ipswich], OK, so he might go to the Championship and score 15 goals. And if he plays regularly in the Premier League, he might score five goals. But for his development, if he can play 20 Premier League games, that will probably be better for him in the long run than playing an entire Championship season.”

Maresca wants Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku's summer has been filled with speculation, with the Frenchman linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. However, in a quick turn of events, Chelsea boss Maresca now appears determined to keep the 27-year-old.

Despite the Blues paying £52m for Nkunku back in 2023, he only started nine Premier League games last season and was mainly used as a rotation player in the Conference League.

Amid the rumours, Maresca has reportedly held talks with Nkunku and made it clear that the forward still has an important role to play in his squad, according to L'Equipe.

Nkunku is unlikely to settle for another rotational role next season, so Maresca will need to convince him he will play a bigger part going forward.