Like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting, Chelsea have sprung to life in this transfer window.
The Blues have made Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, while Mateo Kovacic is joining on loan from Real Madrid in a deal that sees Thibaut Courtois move to the Bernabeu.
There is an unerring sense of panic.
However, Chelsea look set to emerge from the transfer window with exactly what they require.
Maurizio Sarri will transform the footballing philosophy at Stamford Bridge with his intense, possesion-at-all-costs style of play.
But he needs the right players to fit the system, as seen in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.
The Italian tactician favours a 4-3-3 which is heavily reliant on the balance in midfield.
Everything will go through Jorginho. The former Napoli technician will collect from his goalkeeper and start most attacks.
Kante will provide box-to-box energy both on and off the ball, enabling more space for his midfield partners and shouldering most of the defensive responsibility.
Sarri is just missing the Marek Hamsik figure – the midfielder who carries the ball from deep and creates further up the pitch. Sort of like Cesc Fabregas, but ten years ago.
Step forward, Kovacic.
The versatile 24-year-old was once described as a ‘raging bull’ by Giovanni Trapattoni for his ability to drive from midfield.
Sarri, all of a sudden, has his dream three:
It’s bad news for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley, both of whom have the qualities to play that role. And it would almost certainly spell the end of Tiemoue Bakayoko’s woeful Chelsea career, with the Frenchman reportedly off to AC Milan on loan.
With regards to the goalkeeper, £71m is a staggering amount of money for a player who was almost sold to Madrid for £19m in January.
But Chelsea are offloading a disgruntled 26-year-old, who won the Golden Glove in Russia but never shone that brightly in west London, and replacing him with a highly-rated 23-year-old.
Regardless of money, an awkward situation has seemingly been resolved.
Sarri, on Thursday night, will reflect on a very decent summer of business, with the acquisitions of Jorginho, Kepa and Kovacic perfectly filling the carefully identified gaps in his new Chelsea machine.
They are now primed for Sarri-ball.
Not to mention, he has somehow managed to keep Eden Hazard at the club.