The future waits for no one.
And Chelsea—midway through yet another season lost to inconsistency—are already moving.
With Enzo Maresca preparing for his debut Premier League campaign, the club’s recruitment chiefs are reportedly eyeing two names to spearhead the rebuild: Nico Williams and Dean Huijsen. Together, they could cost as much as £99 million according to TEAMtalk.
Both bring more than just promise.
Williams, fresh off a dazzling Euro 2024 campaign with Spain, has lit up La Liga with blistering pace, intelligent movement, and composure far beyond his 22 years.
His £49 million release clause at Athletic Club makes him attainable, but prying him from Bilbao—his boyhood club—won’t be easy according some spanish source reported by TEAMtalk.
He’s among the highest-paid at San Mames, and Chelsea will need to offer more than money.
They’ll need to offer meaning.
Huijsen, meanwhile, has grown into one of the Premier League’s most composed young defenders during his loan stint at Bournemouth.
A Juventus product, still just 19, he’s shown tactical intelligence, calm on the ball, and surprising aerial dominance. He fits Maresca’s profile to the detail: progressive, fearless, technical.
Chelsea’s rebuild isn’t chasing stars. It’s chasing longevity.
Unlike previous windows of chaos, this one feels calculated. Williams and Huijsen both represent a shift—a move towards youth with proven top-flight experience, not just raw potential. Both are Spanish. Both are hungry. Both fit the age profile Chelsea has increasingly leaned on since Todd Boehly’s takeover.
If the Blues can sell off high-earners like Joao Felix permanently—he’s pushing to remain in Milan—the financial math begins to make even more sense.
This isn’t just a double swoop.
It’s a message. Chelsea aren’t done. They’re just getting younger, sharper—and hungrier.