As the Premier League season winds down, all eyes are on the relegation battle—and Chelsea legend Joe Cole believes the Blues should be watching closely too. With two of London's biggest clubs, Tottenham and West Ham, fighting to avoid the drop, Cole has identified several current Premier League players who could make perfect transfer targets for Chelsea this summer.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Cole explained that Chelsea need to shift their recruitment strategy. Instead of chasing stars from Europe's elite clubs, the Blues should focus on rising talents from teams that might be relegated. "Chelsea are in a situation now where they've got to look at players in that bracket," Cole said. "That was where Chelsea were shopping traditionally. Now you've got to find players on the way up."

From Tottenham, Cole highlighted James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus as prime candidates, alongside young prospect Archie Gray and defensive rock Micky van de Ven. Over at West Ham, Jarrod Bowen tops his list, with Mateus Fernandes and Konstantinos Mavropanos also getting nods. These are players with proven Premier League quality—and potentially available at a discount if their clubs go down.

However, there's a catch. Both Spurs and West Ham are likely to aim for an immediate return to the top flight if relegated, meaning they won't be desperate to sell. Plus, with other clubs circling, Chelsea might face stiff competition for these signatures.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's own summer plans are heating up. Estevao's World Cup hopes appear dashed after a fresh injury update, while Nicolas Jackson is reportedly attracting interest from multiple clubs ahead of a potential move. As the Blues look to rebuild, Cole's suggestions offer a smart, budget-friendly path forward—if they can pull it off.

Stay tuned for more Chelsea transfer news, and don't forget to check out the latest episode of Simon Phillips' SPTC podcast for all the inside stories.