With a week of the summer window remaining, Chelsea have spent more on transfer fees than all of La Liga's clubs combined.
Even in a summer that has seen the historic soft-power play from Saudi Arabia take the form of lavish player recruitment for the country's Pro League, Chelsea remain the biggest spenders in the world.
The new Premier League season is only three games old but that is a lifetime in the world of first impressions. Research from Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov suggests that it takes a tenth of a second to form an opinion about a stranger.
After slightly more deliberation time, here are the immediate hits and misses from Chelsea's extravagant recruitment drive.
Chelsea's most impressive 2023/24 summer signings
In the 83rd minute of Chelsea's breezy 3-0 victory over Luton Town last Friday night, Stamford Bridge rose in an ovation for Nicolas Jackson as he trotted off the pitch. The £30m arrival from Villarreal is an easy player to like, tirelessly scurrying around the final third and constantly darting behind the opposition backline.
Mauricio Pochettino is certainly enamored. "No doubt," Chelsea's boss declared, "he can be one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League, with time." While such lofty praise may be a little extravagant, Jackson has certainly started well in west London.
Axel Disasi found the net even quicker than Pochettino's striking prodigy, nodding in on his debut against Liverpool following a £38.5m move from Monaco. Much like the rest of Chelsea's fluid backline, Disasi was not at his best in the defeat to West Ham United on the second weekend of the season but returned to form to shut out Luton.
Technically Malo Gusto became a Chelsea player in January, but the former Lyon full-back spent the second half of last season on loan in Ligue 1. Filling in for the terminally injured Reece James, Gusto fully exploited the yawning chasm in quality between Chelsea and newly promoted Luton to create two goals.
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Chelsea's most disappointing 2023/24 summer signings
Two midfielders made their debut in West Ham's home game against Chelsea in mid-August. The only goal that James Ward-Prowse, fresh from his £30m escape from Southampton in the Championship, didn't create for the Hammers was provided by Chelsea's British record arrival.
Moises Caicedo will struggle to sink lower than the nadir of conceding a blatant penalty half an hour into his Chelsea career. Yet, even on his first start against Luton, the £115m man didn't entirely convince as the most defensively minded midfielder behind Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez.
The 21-year-old will no doubt adapt to his new surroundings but his former Brighton teammate, Robert Sanchez, cannot blame unfamiliar positioning for his struggles.
Signed as a backup, Sanchez has been hastily promoted to the team's number 1 - literally - following Kepa Arrizabalaga's move to Real Madrid. Roberto De Zerbi lost faith in Sanchez as he struggled with Brighton's intricate buildup and on his Chelsea debut, a leaden-footed pass from the keeper almost gifted Liverpool a late winner.
It may be more than a tenth of a second, but judgement should be reserved for Lesley Ugochukwu after a grand total of eight minutes on Premier League pitches.
Chelsea's 2023/24 summer signings that haven't played yet
Chelsea signed Djordje Petrovic from MLS side New England Revolution to offer some (much-needed) competition for Sanchez but the Serbian is one of several new recruits yet to get a run-out for the Blues this season.
After injury punctured a dazzling pre-season, Christopher Nkunku won't be able to demonstrate his impish grace in competitive action until the end of 2023 at the earliest. Chelsea won a tug-of-war with Liverpool to snag Romeo Lavia but Pochettino revealed that the teenager will need "a few weeks" to catch up to his new teammates.
In a constant hoarding of young talent, Chelsea have also spent a combined £30m on the two Brazilian 18-year-olds, Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel. While Angelo is poised to depart on loan, Washington only signed on the dotted line the day before Chelsea's victory over Luton.
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On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel Childs reacts to the Premier League win over Luton, including top performances from Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling! If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
This article was originally published on 90min as Chelsea's summer signings who have impressed and disappointed so far.
