Chelsea USA tour 2023: What we know with Man Utd, Wrexham friendly, dates, Christian Pulisic

Chelsea news: The Blues will once more be touring the USA over the summer when they prepare for the new season

Chelsea are set to travel back to USA in 2023 for pre-season despite a disatrous 2022 tour. Described by then manager Thomas Tuchel in less than glowing terms, the Blues will be in the States once more over the summer.

Graham Potter himself has revealed what the senior players at the club thought of the split up 2022 schedule in America, saying, "Organisationally, the tour didn't work as well as they'd like. I wasn't there so I can't say."

Tuchel went a step further on hand last year though, explaining the struggles for him and his squad. "It's quite a challenge after change already the third time the location," he said.

"A lot of travelling, another time zone, a totally different feeling of temperature, huge humidity, so very demanding for first training and the players are struggling with the heat. We give maybe more time and space to drink – more break – but we can’t hide from the fact we’re in pre-season and we have to, somehow, put kilometres into the legs. From this point, we don’t adapt."

At the end of this season there will have been more time for Todd Boehly and American-based Clearlake Capital to finalise plans with last season in mind. The owners were in place last year but only carried out what had already been organised by the previous regime.

Here, football.london brings you up-to-date with what we know about the 2023 schedule.

Huge tournament 'very close'

Chelsea are extremely close to becoming the first side officially part of a new US based pre-season tournament. With Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus all in the states last season for their own preparations - with the Blues facing the Gunners - there is a massive market and group of teams available.

The twist here is that a new tournament to spice up pre-season has been proposed, according to The Athletic, and Boehly could make his side the first to be confirmed as taking part.

It is said that tournament organisers are confident of getting Chelsea on-board and that could see a host of other top teams join the fun in the summer. Christian Pulisic will be a big hit for fans across the pond too, if he remains at the club, due to his form for USMNT and overall popularity in America as a star.

Manchester United and Wrexham friendlies

Although nothing is yet confirmed, there are a group of teams already set to be out there at the same time, making potential friendlies possible.

Amongst these sides are Premier League rivals Manchester United and also current National League leaders Wrexham. The Glazers have seen United out in America consistently throughout their ownership whilst newfound Hollywood interest in Wrexham has come through their ownership by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The Telegraph write that there is a real possibility of Chelsea playing Wrexham, with a reportted provisional agreement to play at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on July 19. They would then have the chance to face United at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego the week after.

Dates confirmed

As of yet, Chelsea have not announced anything official for their pre-season tour but the league commitments have been laid out. The first game of the season will be 12 August 2023.

Taking the final game of this season into account, May 28 at home to Newcastle, the dates for the tour will almost certainly be throughout July.