Chelsea have beaten their Fifa transfer ban by just 72 hours to agree a £40million deal for the signing of Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid and hope to follow it with a new deal for Callum Hudson-Odoi.
But Chelsea will not make a decision yet on Everton target Kurt Zouma or the futures Marcos Alonso and Davide Zappacosta, who are both open to moves away, until Frank Lampard has started work as manager.
Kovacic spent last campaign on loan at Stamford Bridge and that deal was set to expire on Sunday, when the ban would have prevented the blues from keeping him.
But Chelsea agreed a deal with Real Madrid to sign Kovacic on Wednesday, meaning they can sign the Croatia midfielder despite the two-window ban.
Hudson-Odoi is also on the verge of signing a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the fact the winger will miss the start of the new campaign as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Chelsea are keen to secure his future as he enters the final 12 months of his present contract.
Hudson-Odoi tried to force a move to German giants Bayern Munich in January by handing in a transfer request but it was rejected.
However, more games before his injury and the arrival of Frank Lampard have convinced Callum Hudson-Odoi to commit his future to the club.
The Kovacic deal and Hudson-Odoi’s contract will be important as Chelsea cannot sign any more players this summer unless their transfer ban is overturned.
The transfer ban, together with Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s long-term injury, convinced Chelsea to move on with Kovacic’s signing despite a poor first season in England.
Kovacic played 51 matches across all competitions under Sarri, but did not score a goal and registered just two Premier League assists.
Though, The signing of Kovacic puts the blues under pressure to sell or loan out at least one foreign player to meet Champions League squad guidelines.
Lampard will also face a decision over the futures of Alonso and Zappacosta, who are both open to leave Stamford Bridge.
Those decisions will be left until Lampard officially takes over from Sarri and Petr Cech starts his new job at the club as technical and performance advisor on Monday.
Kovacic’s sale to Chelsea means Real have recouped some much-needed cash after signing Eden Hazard in a deal worth up to £130m.
