With Chelsea watching European football at home this summer, attention has instead turned at times to players that could well have joined the club this season.
The Blues went through a busy summer as far as transfers go, smashing their club-record fee for the addition of another midfielder.
Moises Caicedo joined the club to partner Enzo Fernandez, and while he has certainly not quite lived up to the price tag yet, a player who could be crucial for years is clearly there.
Before raiding Brighton and later Southampton for the addition of Romeo Lavia, the Blues were actually looking at a number of other options to bring in.
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Chelsea chose Moises Caicedo over Manuel Ugarte
One of those was Manuel Ugarte, who was reportedly high on the agenda of new manager at the time Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea were not the only team keen to sign him though, and they eventually gave up on trying to secure the deal when PSG offered the player a far better contract.
Manuel Ugarte benched for PSG in the Champions League
Fast forward to now, and the Uruguay international was an unused sub in his side’s biggest game of the season, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
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PSG lost 3-2 at home to Barcelona, with former Chelsea man Andreas Christensen scoring what proved to be the winning goal.
The Champions League has proven a step up too far the 22-year-old already this season, with him having notably bad performances already in this competition.
Despite the fact that the Blues are not taking part in Europe this season, supporters should absolutely feel as if they have dodged a bullet by not bringing him in over the summer.
It remains to be seen whether or not the club address the midfield position again at the end of the season, however this could come at the expense of homegrown star Conor Gallagher.
