Another transfer window has come and gone, with Chelsea once again diving in head first with a series of expensive new additions.
With the momentum of this summer’s Club World Cup triumph, Chelsea are looking to take another step forward in their bid to become Premier League champions once again, but sales were a big part of this window as Chelsea became the first English side to bring in over £300 million ($402.9 million) through departures.
The goal is simple. Enzo Maresca must continue to deliver silverware in his second season, and there are plenty of new faces signing up to help achieve those ambitions.
Here’s a closer look at Chelsea’s dealings.
Best Signing: Joao Pedro
João Pedro divided opinion when he joined Chelsea in a blockbuster deal worth £60 million less than one month after the Blues splashed out £30 million on Liam Delap, but the Brazilian wasted little time in endearing himself to his new fans.
A stellar Club World Cup campaign was followed by a haul of two goals and two assists in his first three Premier League games for Chelsea as Pedro quickly proved he was capable of making a significant difference in this side.
Whether playing as an out-and-out striker or covering for the injured Cole Palmer in attacking midfield, Pedro brings a little bit of everything to Chelsea’s attack and has already flashed a real team-first mentality which has not always been seen at Stamford Bridge in recent years.
In a market in which the likes of Benjamin Šeško, Viktor Gyökeres, Nick Woltemade and Hugo Ekitiké are all commanding mammoth fees, to get the Premier League-proven Pedro for just £60 million already feels like a real bargain.
Biggest Surprise: Facundo Buonanotte
Facundo Buonanotte has arrived. 👋 pic.twitter.com/8upPLft6aa
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 1, 2025
At the start of the summer, you would not have found a Chelsea fan who expected to see Facundo Buonanotte lining up in blue this season.
The young midfielder joined on a straight loan from Brighton & Hove Albion on Deadline Day, bouncing back from relegation in a temporary spell with Leicester City by joining the world champions in one of the more surprising deals of the summer.
Chelsea fans had been expecting Xavi Simons through the door, but the Blues declined to pull the trigger on Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing in favour of 12 months of Buonanotte. The 20-year-old Argentina international cited the chance to play Champions League football as a core reason behind his decision to join, only to be left out of the Blues’ European squad 48 hours later.
Supporters are watching on with a keen eye, eager to see what the vision truly is for Buonanotte at Chelsea.
Statement Signing: Estevao
Every once in a while, a player emerges who captivates a global audience and leaves them convinced of his potential as an undisputed superstar. Estêvão is undoubtedly of that calibre.
Chelsea struck a deal to sign Estêvão last summer but could only welcome the 18-year-old phenom to Stamford Bridge this summer. Pre-season saw the Brazilian slot in seamlessly under Enzo Maresca and Estêvão has continued his hot form in the Premier League, brushing off any doubts about his physicality or limited experience.
Blues officials are convinced this is the player around whom their entire future will be built, and just one look at Estêvão makes it clear as to why they are so confident. He’s electric, mature beyond his years and ready to make an impact now, not only for the next decade.
Every club in the world would have signed Estêvão if given the opportunity (and the finances), but Chelsea got him, and fans have been laughing ever since.
Biggest Outgoing Transfer: Nicolas Jackson
Only Cole Palmer scored more Premier League goals for Chelsea last season than Nicolas Jackson, but that was not enough to save the Senegal international from the exit door. In came Delap and Pedro to take his place, while Jackson ended up on the books at Bayern Munich.
Bayern agreed to pay a loan fee of over £14 million, making Jackson’s loan the most expensive in history for a single season, while the deal now includes the conditional obligation to make the move permanent for over £56 million after some toing and froing left the deal in limbo heading into the final hours of the transfer window.
Chelsea stand to bank over £70 million if Jackson joins Bayern permanently next summer, doubling their money and helping them reinvest in players better-suited to the long-term vision of the club.
Noni Madueke’s £52 million switch to Arsenal is one which fans will watch closely. While bringing in that sort of money was celebrated, the sight of Madueke pulling on a rival’s shirt will continue to sting while we await a final verdict on this deal.
Overall Grade
This was a mixed window from Chelsea. There are some excellent signings in there—in fact, few would argue that any of their arrivals were ill-advised—but to fully analyse things, you have to look at the deals Chelsea didn’t do, as well.
To see a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan fall apart over £5 million early in the summer was tough, while Chelsea are still lacking appropriate cover for Cole Palmer. The Blues also failed to sign a new centre back following Levi Colwill’s injury, despite Maresca’s public pleas for reinforcements.
Is this squad in a better position compared to last season? Probably. The attack feels stronger and the cover for Moisés Caicedo and Marc Cucurella, namely Dário Essugo and Jorrel Hato, is a massive positive, but there are still issues in this squad and it feels like we were never too far away from fixing them. Maignan was there. Simons was there.
With that mandatory grumble out of the way, it’s hard not to feel good about Chelsea’s business, but results on the pitch will be the only way to truly prove whether it was money well spent.
Overall Grade: B
Chelsea 2025–26 Incomings
Chelsea 2025–26 Outgoings
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Chelsea’s 2025 Summer Transfer Window.
