Chelsea have continued their summer spending spree by welcoming a French youth international to Stamford Bridge.
With the first of two transfer windows this summer currently open, the Blues have wasted little time strengthening their squad as Enzo Maresca prepares for a return to Champions League football next season.
Amidst competition from multiple other Premier League sides Liam Delap joined the club in a £30million deal from Ipswich earlier this month.
The Manchester City academy graduate had impressed at Portman Road despite the Tractor Boys ultimately being relegated in their first season after returning to the top flight.
Maresca is said to have been personally influential in Delap opting for a move to Stamford Bridge, having contacted the 22-year-old to lay out his plans for the club.
Meanwhile highly-rated prospect Dario Essugo arrived from Sporting Lisbon last week, after spending last season on loan in LaLiga with Las Palmas.
Their latest signing, Mamadou Sarr, joined the club from Strasbourg on Monday on an eight-year deal.
The imposing 6ft 4in central defender has represented his country at multiple youth levels and was most recently part of France's under-20 side.
However, despite welcoming a number of new arrivals to their ranks already, Chelsea continue to pursue a number of deals.
After both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen failed to instill confidence between the sticks in separate spells last season, the Blues are reportedly on the hunt for a new No 1 goalkeeper.
Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with a move for AC Milan's Mike Maignan, with the Frenchman reportedly intent on leaving the San Siro this summer.
The link comes after contract talks between the French international and his club stalled last season.
Milan are thought to have agreed a new deal until 2029 worth around £4.2m-a-year (€5m), but later reneged due to concerns over his fitness and form.
Maignan lifted the Serie A title with AC in 2021-22, and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Italy, and now is now edging ever closer to a move to the Premier League.
Mail Sport understands that Chelsea had already made a bid worth £12.6m, and while the Italian side are thought to have wanted a higher price for their player, but a compromise has seemingly been reached.
According to a recent report from L'Equipe, Maignan is dead set on joining the west London club.
Maignan has reportedly made it clear to Milan chiefs that he is prepared to leave on a free when his contact expires at the end of next season if he isn't allowed to depart this summer.
Another player that has found himself in Chelsea's crosshairs is Borussia Dortmund's English starlet Jamie Gittens.
Gittens, who had a brief stint in Chelsea's academy as a youngster, made his senior debut in the Bundesliga days after his 18th birthday.
He has since racked up 106 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga club, scoring 17 goals.
His breakout campaign came this past season, over the course of which he netted 12 times and provided three assists in 48 games.
Manchester City hold a 10 per cent sell-on clause for the 20-year-old, who left the club's academy in 2020 for Dortmund.
An opening bid of £29.5million was rejected earlier this week, with Dortmund slapping a £40m price tag on the 19-year-old winger.
The Blues are hoping to sign him before Tuesday’s deadline to play in the Club World Cup and are prepared to offer a seven-year contract.
The revamped competition will see an expanded format featuring 32 clubs competing over the course of a month across the United States.
Less than one month after their Europa Conference League triumph Chelsea will kick-off their campaign in Group D against Los Angeles FC on June 16.
Four days later the club will have reunion with their former midfielder Jorginho, who recently completed a move to Brazilian side Flamengo, before rounding out the group stage against ES Tunis of Tunisia.
