A Busy Summer Window

Chelsea finished the previous season at third place, a spot the Blues were all too familiar with in recent years. Jose Mourinho failed to make an immediate impact by winning a trophy at his first season back. However, this does not mean his season was a failure. Chelsea made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League before losing out to eventual runner-up (and La Liga winners) Atletico Madrid. The squad that seemed to lack chemistry in the 2012/13 season are finally bonding together to create a formidable team. With the help of a few summer signings this year, Chelsea would prove to be the strongest European team this upcoming season.

1. Cesc Fabregas - Barcelona to Chelsea
This is probably one of the most shocking transfers of this summer. It took Chelsea just one week after the media reported of the Blues' interest in Fabregas before eventually signing him. What's most shocking is Arsenal's refusal in signing him. The midfielder used to be the captain of the Gunners until 2011. When Barcelona signed him, his contract states that Arsenal gets first dibs on re-signing if the club wishes to sell. This was the only obstacle Chelsea had to go through. So here he is now, playing for his former London rivals.

2. Mario Pasalic - Hajduk Split to Chelsea
This youngster would prove to be a future prospect for Chelsea, especially after the departure of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard. His aerial ability, along with his clinical finish, would be an asset to the squad.

3. David Luiz - Chelsea to PSG
A whopping £50 million for a defender sets a record in the history books. This deal was done before the World Cup went into full swing. Jose Mourinho proved himself to be a master at managing because David Luiz went on to perform horribly at the crucial games of the World Cup. If Mourinho had made the deal AFTER the Cup, David Luiz's price would have deflated significantly.

4. Demba Ba - Chelsea to Besiktas
Signed in January of 2013, Demba Ba has appeared in games as Chelsea's substitute striker. The Senegalese international is now a forward for Turkish club Besiktas.

5. Filipe Luis - Atletico to Chelsea
Ashley Cole's exit in the summer left a huge hole in the Chelsea line-up. Cole is arguably one of the world's best left-backs in history. Filipe Luis would attempt to emulate Cole's performance for Chelsea this coming season. The Brazilian was not called up to the World Cup squad this year; however, his outstanding performance at Atletico was not overlooked by Mourinho.

6. Diego Costa - Atletico to Chelsea
After years of finding the right replacement for Didier Drogba, Chelsea has finally signed a world-class talent in Diego Costa. Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o, and Demba Ba have all failed to reach the standard that Drogba has set in the club. Although Costa was overshadowed by Radamel Falcao in past years at Atletico, the latter's departure in 2013 gave Costa the opportunity to shine last season. The Spanish international finished the previous season with 36 goals, a stat that Chelsea fans are hoping he would carry on to the Premier League. With this signing, Jose Mourinho has expressed his intent on winning trophies this season.

7. Exits of Lampard & Cole
Champions League winners Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have decided to end their term at Chelsea to pursue their careers elsewhere. Lampard, Chelsea's all-time goalscorer, has yet to announce his decision on which club he would join. New York City FC are touted to be among the favorites to sign him. Ashley Cole has signed for AS Roma. Chelsea fans around the world would express their deepest gratitude to the contributions made by these two club legends.

8. Returning loanees Courtois, Bamford, Lukaku
Despite the failure of winning trophies last season, Chelsea has stacked a number of exciting talents from their young signings. Thibaut Courtois won the Spanish La Liga with Atletico last season while winning his second Ricardo Zamora Trophy (an award for conceding the least amount of goals to the amount of games played). Courtois made his impact in the World Cup with Belgium and took the team as far as the quarter-finals before losing out to Argentina. Jose Mourinho had stated his intent on keeping the 22-year old world-class goalkeeper in the club for the upcoming season.

Along with Courtois, striker Romelu Lukaku played his part in the World Cup. Lukaku failed to impress during his stint at Chelsea in previous seasons. Nevertheless, he proved to be an asset in the loan clubs he was assigned to, namely West Bromwich Albion and Everton. Pre-season matches would help Jose decide whether to keep the striker or not.

One exciting, homegrown prospect is Chelsea's 20-year old Patrick Bamford. In just half a season with Derby, Bamford scored 8 goals in 14 league appearances. So far, the Chelsea youngster is enjoying a good pre-season after bagging the club's first goal against Wycombe Wanderers. It looks like a loan to another Premier League club or Championship club would help with the striker's experience.

The preparations for the new season had begun. Looking at all the signings Chelsea made, this would prove to be an interesting year for the Blues. Fans all over the globe would expect nothing less than prestigious titles this season. Keep the blue flag flying high!