Over £200m has already been invested in new recruits this summer – and more are set to follow. They now have 3 front-line forwards to choose from.
| 2025/26 Premier League Winner Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | 2/1 |
| Arsenal | 9/4 |
| Manchester City | 3/1 |
| Chelsea | 8/1 |
| Newcastle United | 28/1 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Why Chelsea’s summer transfer business could be a game-changer
Seven new faces have already arrived at Stamford Bridge since the final ball of the 2024/25 Premier League season was kicked.
Three or four of those signings appear to be long-term investments rather than immediate solutions. However, signing the likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro from Ipswich and Brighton has given them fresh firepower to compete with Nicolas Jackson.
Left-sided forward, Jamie Gittens, has also joined the Blues revolution in a high-profile deal from Borussia Dortmund.
There are zero indications that the club’s summer spending will stop there either. New reports suggest Maresca has made Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers his number-one target for the remainder of the transfer window. This move would add further depth to the Chelsea forward line.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho continues to be heavily linked with a move to West London.
It’s very clear that Maresca wants multiple options to rotate his front three behind the central striker. His style is all about pressing from the front, so he’ll need players who can run for the full 90 minutes.
Having at least two players for each of those front-line positions will be key, especially as the team have minimal downtime after their 2025 Club World Cup exploits.
Favourable fixtures could benefit the Blues
Having won 12 of their last 15 competitive games, Maresca will be keen for his team to keep this winning mentality going early in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Blues’ early-season fixture schedule appears to have given them the ideal opportunity to do just that - they only play one of last season’s top six sides in their first ten league games.
Chelsea open the campaign at home to Crystal Palace, followed by London derbies against West Ham, Fulham and Brentford.
Next, they take on Manchester United and Brighton before meeting the defending champions, Liverpool, in Matchweek 7.
According to the Premier League’s Fixture Difficulty Ratings, created by their Fantasy Premier League team, only six teams have an easier start to the 2025/26 season than Chelsea. None of them are expected to be part of next season’s title race.
Arsenal will play three of the last season’s top six in their first six matches, along with a home game against seventh-placed Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool also play three of last season’s top six during the first seven matches. Therefore, Chelsea have a genuine chance to establish themselves near the summit by the time autumn kicks in.
The betting markets currently give Chelsea only an 11.11% chance of winning their first Premier League title since 2017. Given the club’s continued investment in elite talent, Maresca’s recent winning formula and their favourable fixture schedule, this probability is highly likely to rise by the end of Matchweek 10.
It could be the ideal back-to-cash-out strategy on the Premier League Outright Winner market this pre-season.