When the Premier League transfer window opens on July 27, Chelsea will be one of the best positioned clubs in the market.

The transfer ban they previously served suddenly looks like it will help them, as the money they saved during that period can now be invested at a time when other teams are struggling with cashflow. 

Director Marina Granovskaia has a great reputation for selling players at a premium and closing deals for big players, and she is going to be central to all negotiations once again this summer.

Chelsea have already agreed deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner ahead of next season, but they will continue to recruit in order to help manager Frank Lampard close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City as the country's top clubs.

So how will the summer shape up? And what should we expect? Bleacher Report sources indicate that there could be activity in every position.

Goalkeeper

We revealed in February that Kepa Arrizabalaga's long-term future at the club was under threat, and that narrative has continued to play out ever since.

At the turn of the year, Lampard began to ponder whether he needed a new 'keeper and has been leaning on the knowledge of performance director Petr Cech and former goalkeeping coach and current scout Christophe Lollichon to help him judge Kepa's performances and also suggest potential targets.

Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope and Ajax stopper Andre Onana are two leading candidates who could be pursued if Chelsea decide to strengthen the position this summer.

They are going to struggle to find a new club for Kepa, though, because of the high fee they would be looking for.

Jan Oblak has been touted as a Chelsea target, with the prospect of an Atletico Madrid swap deal in mind, but that is highly unlikely.

Defence

It is a priority of Lampard's to strengthen his defensive options, and there is real consideration going into the level of player to pursue.

Top targets, Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli and Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan, are highly valued by their clubs, but Chelsea know they need to make a statement so might yet make an offer for one of them.

Nathan Ake has long been considered for a return, but so far they have not pushed on with negotiations to get him back from Bournemouth, and now Manchester City are looking at the player.

Declan Rice is being linked with a move to Chelsea as a defender too. He has established himself at West Ham United as a midfielder but used to play at the back in past years in Chelsea's academy.

B/R sources are not convinced Lampard sees Rice as a full-time centre-back, but he is undoubtedly impressed by the player's versatility.  

Germany's Antonio Rudiger, 27, and Denmark's Andreas Christensen, 24, are yet to be offered new deals at Chelsea, so both players might yet be open to offers from other clubs this summer.

Kurt Zouma will be made available at the right price. There have been some rumours about Fikayo Tomori being available for loan but sources say that is dependant on how many new defenders the club sign.

Chelsea are looking to offload one of Emerson or Marcos Alonso—or even both—in the coming weeks, and left-back will be an interesting position in terms of recruitment.

Ben Chilwell is currently being priced out of a move, but Chelsea do expect Leicester to eventually ease their stance and listen to offers under £60 million.

Sources around the club are confident they will sign Chilwell, but Ajax's Nicolas Tagliafico is on the club's radar, too.

Midfield

This area will depend largely on whether Jorginho or N'Golo Kante leave this summer. Jorginho has had his head turned by interest from Juventus, and B/R understands he is set for talks with Chelsea officials next week to discuss his situation and understand how he feels about his future at the club. 

Meanwhile, Kante is wanted by Inter Milan and Real Madrid, but things have not progressed at this stage with either. Madrid are unlikely to have the funds to sign him right now, so Inter might be the only club that cause Chelsea a headache here.

Lampard and his recruitment staff have a two-tier list of names they will turn to if a new midfielder is needed and will adapt the thinking depending on who leaves.

Attack

Kai Havertz is the high-profile name that pretty much every Chelsea fan wants to see in a blue shirt—and it is becoming a real possibility.

At this stage, Chelsea are in the bizarre situation of having no competition for his signature. The player was expecting many offers this summer, but his price tag is causing a big problem for other suitors. It is believed Havertz is satisfied that the Blues would be a good landing spot when he leaves Bayer Leverkusen.

Havertz is going to cost close to £90 million as it stands, but Chelsea will try to knock that down a little. They will propose paying £60 million up front and then topping up the amount, with the eventual total dependant on later bonus payments.

Talks between Granovskaia and Leverkusen managing director Rudi Voller are expected this week to see how they can move the deal forward.

On the back of a Havertz deal, watch out for how Callum Hudson-Odoi is impacted. One of the reasons Chelsea are still looking to sign players in forward positions is because there is concern over whether Hudson-Odoi is progressing quickly enough into the elite game-changer they had been expecting.

There is still hope, particularly as his contract runs until 2024, but he is being monitored closely.

Meanwhile, Willian is still expected to depart as the club do not seem willing to budge on the length of a new contract. Pedro is also leaving on a free transfer.

Chelsea's summer revamp is going to be one of the most exciting projects in football. They aim to show new ambition and get back to competing for titles in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

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