Cristiano Ronaldo, Raheem Sterling and Richarlison in front, Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Jonathan Clauss behind

If mastering the fallout from Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea departure wasn’t enough for Thomas Tuchel, he now faces one of the biggest transfer windows in the club’s history.

With Todd Boehly now in place and appointing himself as interim sporting director, the Blues can finally start planning for their next era, but they are already playing catch-up.

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Third in the Premier League last season, the two teams above Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, have already worked hard, and there are threats behind them.

Antonio Conte is backed at Tottenham with a string of big signings, while Arsenal are once again active in the window.

For Tuchel however, there is still plenty of time to spare and candidates are lined up to strengthen a squad after a season that has left them in need.

Record signing Romelu Lukaku has been an absolute disaster after failing to provide a decent goalscoring return and campaigning for a loan return to Inter Milan, which now looks set to be over.

Sanctions against Abramovich over his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin also inadvertently decimated Chelsea’s defensive options, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen ending their careers at Stamford Bridge.

Captain Cesar Azpilicueta looks likely to leave despite the club triggering a one-year contract extension, but either way Tuchel is desperate for reinforcements.

The club may finally be able to complete a deal for Sevilla France international Jules Kounde, a year after almost signing the much-loved 23-year-old last summer.

He could also be joined at the back by Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, with talkSPORT sources reporting the Blues are one of several teams keen to exploit the defender’s stalled contract negotiations.

If Kounde or De Ligt join, they will likely be flanked at the back by fellow France international Jonathan Clauss, who stood out with Lens in Ligue 1.

Clauss has not only impressed Blues boss Didier Deschamps, but also Tuchel, with a £10m deal in sight to add depth to the defence.

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Lukaku’s unsuccessful return appears to be made up for by the arrival of Raheem Sterling, with the Man City and England star emerging as one of the club’s top priorities this summer.

The deals for Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez are likely to have a huge impact on Sterling’s playing time at the Etihad, with a return to London on the cards for a fee of around £60million.

Joining Sterling up front is where things get interesting, not only with a deal for Everton’s Richarlison but also a sensational move for Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Athletic report that Boehly has met Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, who appears to be looking for a new home with links to Bayern Munich.

Youthful options such as Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher make the midfielder much less of a concern for Tuchel, but the form of Chelsea’s defense and forwards may soon be unrecognizable.