Chelsea’s strongest XI after the summer transfer window only features two new signings

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Even though the summer transfer window at Chelsea was extremely busy with so many ins and outs, Enzo Maresca should be relatively pleased with what’s currently in the building.

Chelsea supporters are certainly used to chaotic transfer windows under this ownership. Yet again, the Blues put attention on recruiting some of the most exciting young players around, but it’s worth highlighting that many are actually very experienced for their age.

• READ MORE: All the incoming and outgoing deals Chelsea confirmed on transfer deadline day

Now that the transfer window is firmly shut, we’ve put together Chelsea’s strongest XI right now. We’ve selected the team from the entire Blues squad, excluding Levi Colwill, who’s sidelined with an ACL injury for the foreseeable future.

Goalkeeper – Robert Sanchez

It’s quite clear that Spanish gloveman Robert Sanchez is the best option in net at the football club.

Chelsea were open to signing a new goalkeeper if they sold either Sanchez or Filip Jorgensen, but it looks like they’ll be the two main keepers this season.

We’ve seen that Sanchez is capable of the spectacular on his day. Can he finally find the consistency to prove he’s good enough to be the long-term starting goalkeeper, though? He can be content with two clean sheets and just one goal conceded to start the new season.

Defence – Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella

Of course, Reece James is the club’s outstanding right-back, even though we like Malo Gusto as his deputy.

It’s a similar scenario at left-back because Marc Cucurella is best in class, supported by Jorrel Hato.

At the moment, Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo would be the selection for the best pairing at centre-back. While both may not be recognised by Premier League audiences as elite central defenders, they’ve both stepped up to perform superbly well under Maresca.

Until talented centre-half Wesley Fofana can stay fit for an extended period, we can’t include him in the team’s strongest XI. This would change if he finally enjoys a bit more luck with his fitness. We’ve mentioned looking over the brilliant Colwill because of his ACL injury, too.

Midfield – Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer

In fairness, the team’s best midfield is pretty clear and everyone should agree.

Moises Caicedo is a world-class defensive midfielder, while partner in crime Enzo Fernandez continues to get better as a box-to-box central midfielder. Cole Palmer completes the trio as he is still one of the very best around in his position.

Chelsea believe in Caicedo, Fernandez and Palmer as an ‘elite’ combination in the spine of the XI. We can only agree with them!

It is worth noting that the Blues don’t have to rely on them for every single minute of every match because they own excellent alternatives such as Romeo Lavia, Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo.

Attack – Estevao Willian, Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto

In attack, Estevao Willian is the first of only two summer signings in this Chelsea line-up. We’ve found room for the exciting Brazilian talent on the right wing, where he can inject huge excitement and directness.

Estevao’s inclusion means we’ve gone with Pedro Neto on the left wing, which is a position he can play well in.

It feels like Estevao and Neto are the two outstanding wingers at the club right now. We expect both Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho to push for the starting positions, though, so this could change quite frequently throughout the season.

Finally, Joao Pedro completes the line-up as the central striker, even though we’ve seen he can perform brilliantly deeper in the No.10 pocket. The outstanding summer signing has five goals in six appearances across all competitions for the Blues.