In mid-July, an agent seeking to break an impasse in a transfer not involving Chelsea had an unusual idea: "Let's call Todd Boehly."
The player in question was in advanced talks to move to another Premier League club, but negotiations had stalled for some time over his valuation. Chelsea had previously shown no interest despite many of Europe's top sides closely monitoring the situation, but the Blues had been linked with so many players at the time that the agent thought Boehly, who had extended his role as new co-owner and chairman to act as interim sporting director following the club's takeover, was worth a try.