Chelsea have become known for their mammoth spending over recent seasons, with BlueCo desperately looking to take the club back to their former Premier League glory.

However, the club also have a superb top-level academy setup to rely on, with the likes of Reece James and Levi Colwill just two players who have made the step up into the senior ranks.

The latter of the aforementioned duo has had a season to forget throughout 2025/26, following an ACL injury which has restricted him to just three games across all competitions.

Despite his injury woes, the 23-year-old is reportedly in contention to be named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Regardless of his playing time this summer, the Englishman will be a crucial member of Xabi Alonso’s plans at Stamford Bridge next term and could be joined by a number of top talents.

Chelsea hold talks to sign £52m star this summer

Despite the transfer window not opening until early June, the Chelsea hierarchy have already conducted early work to get deals in place ahead of the summer.

Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi has emerged as one potential target for the Blues this summer after netting 13 goals during his debut campaign in the Premier League.

Arsenal are also said to be closely monitoring the Frenchman’s progress at present, with a £100m asking price for his signature currently being mooted.

The defensive department could also be set for a couple of new additions, as Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande has once again been mentioned as a transfer target.

According to A Bola via Sport Witness, Chelsea are discussing behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge the idea of launching a move to land Ivorian in the near future.

The report also states that the likes of Bournemouth, PSG and Crystal Palace all continue to be linked with a move to land the 22-year-old in the months ahead.

Any deal would likely be yet another expensive addition for BlueCo, as the Portuguese outfit are set to demand a fee in the region of £52m to offload the defensive star.

Reports last week actually said talks had been opened over a prospective move for Diomande.

Why Diomande would be better than Hato for Chelsea

As part of last summer’s recruitment drive, Chelsea completed the £35m signing of Dutch defender Jorrel Hato to bolster the options within the club’s backline.

The 20-year-old has often been a backup option this term, whether that be in full-back or centre-back areas - even despite the long-term injury to Colwill.

However, Hato has started each of the Blues’ last three games across all competitions - including the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley last weekend.

He’s certainly caught the eye in such performances, but it remains to be seen how much of a senior role he will play in Alonso’s system at the Bridge next term.

At just 20, he has a huge future ahead of him, but he may have to play second fiddle once again next season - especially if Diomande completes any move to West London.

The Ivorian, who’s a right-sided centre-back, could be the perfect partner for Colwill at the heart of the backline in the Spaniard’s quest for success in 2026/27.

His stats from the current campaign in Portugal highlight his all-round quality, which could make him a valuable asset for the Blues for many years to come.

Diomande, who has “world-class potential” according to creator Alex Brice, has completed 93% of his passes to date, whilst also achieving a 67% long ball success rate.

Both of the aforementioned tallies are higher than those produced by Hato, whilst also ranking him in the top 5% of all defenders currently plying their trade in Europe.

The Ivorian is certainly an excellent ball-playing option, but his stats without the ball also highlight the defensive quality he possesses despite his tender age.

He’s made a staggering 5.2 ball recoveries per 90 and come out on top in 57% of the aerial battles he’s entered - also placing him above 90% of defenders in the region.

Diomande has also made 4.9 clearances per 90 this campaign, along with 6.3 defensive contributions per 90 - which further proves he’s a better option without the ball than Hato.

Pushing the Dutchman further down the pecking order in West London may be seen as a controversial call - but it’s one that needs to be made if the club are to be successful again.

The Sporting star has showcased that he’s more than capable of replacing the youngster at the Bridge, with his rumoured £52m asking price potentially being a bargain for Alonso’s side.