Chelsea land second and third signing after Raheem Sterling arrival

Chelsea lost two key defenders last summer, but Tuchel has now identified his preferred replacements

Raheem Sterling will be Chelsea's first signing of the summer after the club agreed to a £55 million deal with Manchester City for the English forward. The Blues are expected to continue their shopping spree with two defenders expected to arrive in the coming days.

Thomas Tuchel lost centre-back duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Football Club Barcelona respectively this summer. Strengthening the backline has therefore been the top priority for the former Paris Saint-Germain coach.

Chelsea has been linked with a number of defenders in recent weeks including Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt and Red Bull Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol. The former seems to be Bayern Munich bound, while the latter was deemed not for sale by the Bundesliga club.

England forward Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring against the Czech Republic Photo: POOL / Laurence Griffiths

Tuchel quickly moved on to other targets, with Napoli stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly now on his way to Stamford Bridge. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that the Blues have reached an agreement with the Senegal international over a five-year deal until the summer of 2027.

"Chelsea are now closing on Kalidou Koulibaly deal! Full agreement on personal terms for €10m net per season, contract until June 2027," Romano wrote. "Negotiation set to be completed in the coming days: Chelsea working to close the deal for €38m plus addons as final proposal."

Koulibaly is expected to be joined at Stamford Bridge by former Chelsea academy graduate Nathan Ake, according to Adam Newson of Football London. Tuchel is a big admirer of the versatile defender and is keen to bring him back to the club this summer.

City, who signed Ake from Bournemouth in 2020, are open to letting the Dutch defender leave. The Premier League champions will look to recoup the £41 million they paid to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.

Koulibaly's arrival is not expected to impact Chelsea's desire to sign Ake, and the club are continuing talks with their English top-flight rivals. A fee of £45 million has been mooted, with Ake said to be open to rejoining his former club after failing to nail down a starting spot under Pep Guardiola.

Tuchel's defence is expected to undergo further remodeling following the arrival of the two new centre-backs. Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso are heading for the exit doors, and Barcelona has been touted as the full-backs' next potential destination.