These are incredibly exciting times to be a Chelsea supporter.
After securing a top-four finish in their first season under Frank Lampard's stewardship last term, the Stamford Bridge club are aiming to go one better this time around and mount a Premier League title charge.
And with just over a week to go until the new season springs into life it is fair to say that Chelsea are doing everything they can to ensure they can compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at the summit.
With more than a month still remaining of this summer's transfer window it is Chelsea who have been the Premier League's big spenders so far. The Blues, who kicked-off their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, have already drafted in five new recruits and more are expected to follow.
Having secured deals for Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and RB Leipzig ace Timo Werner before the 2019/20 season had even reached its conclusion, the Blues have continued their summer spending spree during the close season, landing Leicester City and England left-back Ben Chilwell in a deal worth £50million, former Nice centre-back Malang Sarr and Brazilian international Thiago Silva.
Whilst Sarr is poised to spend the 2020/21 season out on loan, both Chilwell and Silva are expected to slot straight into Lampard's defence, with the Chelsea boss eager to make up for last season's defensive woes.
Whilst Silva is poised to slot straight into the heart of the Blues' back-line, it remains anyone's guess as to who will line-up alongside him, with Lampard having the option of going for Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma or Fikayo Tomori.
But with Chelsea in the mood to spend massive amounts of money this summer, as is proven with Kai Havertz's impending arrival at Stamford Bridge, nothing should be ruled out, meaning the Blues may consider the idea of landing another centre-back before the window is out.
And former Chelsea chief Carlo Ancelotti has already suggested a perfect partner for Silva in the shape of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
Ancelotti worked alongside Koulibaly during his time at Napoli and was left very impressed by the qualities the Senegal international displayed, even admitting that he belonged in the same category as Silva.
Speaking earlier this year, the Italian, as quoted by Calciomercato.com, said: “Koulibaly belongs in the category of [Paolo] Maldini, [Lilian] Thuram, Thiago Silva, and Sergio Ramos.
"He’s very clever, usually he’s so fast and strong he thinks it’s no use to solve problems.
"He knows that it’s not enough to have a strong personality."
Koulibaly has been frequently linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, as Lampard aims to strengthen his defence.
But with the Blues poised to splash out around £90million on Havertz, as well as aiming to sign a new goalkeeper, a move for Koulibaly may be out of the question, with Napoli demanding a huge fee for his services.
Nevertheless, the prospect of having Koulibaly and Silva as a centre-back pairing could be a relishing prospect for Lampard.
