A squad already brimming with quality improved further

Owen Phillips, BBC Sport

Although Sevilla decided Chelsea's offer for defender Jules Kounde was "unsatisfactory " the deadline day transfer business at Stamford Bridge was anything but.

Having already solved the striking issues by bringing in Romelu Lukaku, the next priority was in midfield and Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez's arrival on a season loan with a view to a permanent deal adds much-needed cover in the holding roles.

The Blues were never going to be held to ransom for France international Kounde and there are plenty of defensive options, even with the sale of Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi.

Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Trevoh Chalobah, Cesar Azplicueta and Reece James can all play in a back three, as can Ben Chilwell.

The squad was brimming with quality across the board and a focused summer window has further improved the look, as well as recouping some funds.

And the Kounde deal may well be something to revisit next time around.