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Chelsea have made history by spending more money in one summer than any other Premier League side has managed after parting ways with £258.5million during the transfer window.
Thomas Tuchel’s side signed 12 new players – with their biggest signing coming on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window when they secured the services of Wesley Fofana for £69.5m.
Fofana joins the likes of Denis Zakaria, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and a host of young talent in joining the Premier League giants this summer.
Thomas Tuchel’s side made history by spending £258.5million during the summer window
Sterling completed a sensational move from Manchester City to their Premier League rivals Chelsea. He penned a five-year deal worth more than £300,000-a-week with the London-based club.
Chelsea forked out £50m for Sterling – who left Man City as their second top scorer in European football, only behind Sergio Aguero.
Thomas Tuchel’s side confirmed the signing of Wesley Fofana, 21, for £65.5million this summer
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has completed a switch from Barcelona to Chelsea this summer
The Blues also confirmed the signing of Koulibaly from Napoli in a deal worth £34million. The defender was their second summer arrival – signing a four-year contract.
Tuchel continued to reinforce his backline by signing Cucurella from Brighton.
The Spanish full-back signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea paying an initial fee of £55m, plus a potential £7m in bonuses.
Zakaria also completed his season-long loan move to Chelsea from Juventus on the final day of the summer transfer window.
The deal includes an option to buy the midfielder for £30m once his loan spell ends.
However, Chelsea’s biggest signing of the summer was Fofana – who put pen-to-paper on a seven-year contract with Tuchel’s side.
The Blues had to part ways with £70m for the former Leicester centre back – who is aiming to emulate Blues ‘legends’ Claude Makelele and Marcel Desailly.
Fofana was Chelsea’s sixth signing of the summer and was announced shortly after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined the club.
Chelsea confirmed the signing of the Barcelona forward in a deal worth £10m late on Thursday night.
The former Arsenal captain signed a two-year contract with the west London side, in a deal that will see full-back Alonso head the other way.
The move marks a return to England for Aubameyang, who only joined the Catalan side in February on a free after his exit from Arsenal.
The deal will also see Aubameyang reunited with his former boss, Tuchel. The pair previously worked together at Borussia Dortmund.
Raheem Sterling signed for Chelsea after leaving Premier League giants Manchester City
Former Brighton star Marc Cucurella was another one of Thomas Tuchel’s summer signings
Speaking to the club website, Aubameyang said: ‘I’m really happy. It’s an honour to be part of this team and I can’t wait to start. I have some unfinished business with the Premier League so it’s good to be back and really exciting.’
Chelsea also snapped up former Southampton goalkeeper Eddie Beach during the summer window. He joined the Blues’ academy for an undisclosed fee.
Jim Fraser, Chelsea’s assistant head of youth development and head of youth recruitment, told the club’s official website: ‘We are very pleased to bring Eddie to the club.
Chelsea also secured the services of Kalidou Koulibaly (above) from Napoli this summer
Chelsea’s summer spending comes just one year after the bought Kai Havertz (£72m), Timo Werner (£47.7m), Ben Chilwell (£45m), Hakim Ziyech (£36m) and Edouard Mendy (£21.6m)
‘He is a talented goalkeeper with good potential and will join our development squad for the coming season.’
Chelsea also fought off competition from Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona to sign Carney Chukwuemeka during the summer transfer window.
The England U19 international signed a six-year contract worth £20m after rejecting a new deal at Aston Villa.
Chelsea also confirmed deals with Zak Sturge, Omari Hutchinson and Tyler Dibling for undisclosed fees this summer.
Chelsea’s summer spending comes just one year after they bought Kai Havertz (£72m), Timo Werner (£47.7m), Ben Chilwell (£45m), Hakim Ziyech (£36m) and Edouard Mendy (£21.6m).