'Everybody might have been laughing, not anymore' - ' - recruitment expert hails four Chelsea transfers

Chelsea's summer transfer business has looked better and better as the weeks have gone past.

That is the opinion of experienced former Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

The likes of Jordan Henderson, Emi Martinez and Maxence Lacroix have found their feet, with the Blues winning their last two games, against Bournemouth and Everton, convincingly.

Morgan Rogers' £117million arrival was the standout of the summer business, and the England international has been excellent for Chelsea this season.

Yet it is the more under-the-radar signings that have began to really hit home for Xabi Alonso's team, who have looked far more defensively solid of late.

Saturday will see the visit of London rivals Tottenham, who won their first Premier League game of the season against Coventry City on Monday.

'Chelsea are a stronger team than Tottenham'

From the outside looking in, the signings of the likes of Henderson and Danny Welbeck seemed bizarre.

Chelsea were signing players deep into the 30s, seemingly throwing away the model that the club have sworn by in recent years.

Yet that was half the problem, the Blues had a squad with no experience, and they now look to be reaping the benefits from their new dressing room leaders.

"The goalkeeper's not going to be playing, Martinez. He broke his jaw and has been operated on. I always thought that Martinez, during his early days at Aston Villa, was probably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League," King told Football Insider.

"And he's started to look pretty solid at Chelsea. As have Chelsea, I mean, the boy they brought from Brighton, Moises Caicedo. Very similar to [Sandro] Tonali, cost an awful lot of money, but he's starting to look a player now.

"And with Henderson in there, with his experience. Everybody might have been laughing about them bringing in Welbeck and Henderson, but not anymore. They've got a relatively young side.

"I think it'll be a difficult game for Tottenham. It could be a good game. Spurs are getting a bit of confidence now, and Chelsea certainly are, they're fourth in the league.

"This'll be a good test after the game against Coventry City, because Chelsea, at this moment in time, are a stronger side than what Tottenham are. This could be a half-decent game."

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea 'taking shape'

There is plenty more to prove yet for Chelsea's new-look team, but without any form of European football this season, there is hope that their performance in the Premier League will be much improved.

"I'm just enjoying it, working with them every day and playing with them out on the pitch," said Henderson after last week's clash with Everton.

"There's some top quality, top talent, here, and I really feel like the team's beginning to take shape in terms of the togetherness and everything.

"There's been a lot of new change in the summer – new coaching staff and players coming in – but I really feel that the togetherness is coming, not only in training during the week on the field, off the field as well."