Chelsea considered several midfield options after Enzo Fernandez completed his £125M deadline-day move to Manchester City.
The Blues had already experienced an active summer under new manager Xabi Alonso. They generated more than £425M through player sales.
Nicolas Jackson joined Aston Villa for £65M, while Marc Cucurella completed a £51.8M transfer to Real Madrid.
Chelsea reinvested heavily, with Morgan Rogers arriving from Aston Villa for £120M. Emiliano Martinez, Maxence Lacroix, Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck also joined.
However, Fernandez’s late departure left Chelsea searching for another midfielder before the window closed.
Their pursuit of Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara eventually collapsed. Chelsea also tried to secure Manu Kone but could not complete that move.
With their preferred options unavailable, the Blues began considering experienced players available outside the traditional transfer market.
According to Foot Mercato, Chelsea explored the possibility of signing former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches.
The 29-year-old had recently been released from the final year of his PSG contract. Therefore, Chelsea could have signed him as a free agent.
Chelsea’s sporting management reportedly believed Sanches met several requirements. His top-level experience and immediate availability were among the factors that attracted them.
The Blues considered Sanches after initially looking at another former PSG midfielder, Georginio Wijnaldum.
However, Wijnaldum subsequently joined Al-Ittihad, leaving Chelsea to assess Sanches as another possible solution.
Chelsea ultimately decided against pursuing the Portugal international. Instead, the club chose to place its faith in Alonso’s existing midfield options.
Sanches had completed a full pre-season and remained available as a free agent. Foot Mercato reported that several clubs from Europe’s leading leagues were showing interest.
Chelsea have since continued their campaign without adding another midfielder. They beat Fulham and Brighton before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal.
The Blues also recorded a 2-0 EFL Cup victory over Luton Town during their opening run under Alonso.
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