They arrived with huge reputations: World Cup winners’ medals or multiple Premier League titles to their names, while another was predicted to be a future Ballon D’Or winner.
But Chelsea’s self-proclaimed ground-breaking transfer spree saw £600million spent and the team finish 12th. None of the incomers performed but few disappointed more than Raheem Sterling, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, a trio intended to propel Chelsea into the post-Roman Abramovich era.
Now they at least have clear leadership for the season under Mauricio Pochettino. They will also not be wanting for aerobic fitness once they have endured the pre-season training programme of Jesus Perez and Pochettino’s son, Sebastiano.