Not one signing made by these teams would get in Chelsea's first XI

The total outlay from these four clubs at the moment is over £250million

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham have spent big this summer in an attempt to close the gap to Chelsea

£252.2million: That’s how much Arsenal, the Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Liverpool have spent trying to close the gap on Chelsea this summer...

The spree has clearly irritated Jose Mourinho but he should relax: not one of the players who his rivals have bought would get in Chelsea’s starting line-up.

It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about Bastian Schweinsteiger, Raheem Sterling, Petr Cech or Christian Benteke; none of them are at a level where they would waltz into Stamford Bridge and take the place of those who helped Chelsea become champions last season.

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Jose Mourinho has watched his rivals spend big in an attempt to close the gap to his Chelsea side

The Chelsea manager attended a press conference on Friday ahead of the start of the new season

Schweinsteiger was a World Cup winner 13 months ago and arrives in England with an outstanding c.v. but he is now 31 and fitness problems have become an issue. He is not a 26-year-old approaching his peak and Mourinho would not select him ahead of Nemanja Matic or Cesc Fabregas.

Cech has been the signing of the summer for Arsenal but, in Mourinho’s eyes, he can’t be a better keeper than Thibaut Courtois or he would have been between the posts today; Liverpool, searching for goals, have caught the eye with their business but is Benteke at Diego Costa’s level yet? No.

Sterling, perhaps, is the only one who would be knocking on the door to get in to Chelsea’s team but his competition would be Eden Hazard and given a choice between the two, Mourinho would not look any further than a man he thinks can reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Raheem Sterling's £49million move from Liverpool to Manchester City was the story of the summer

I’ve been watching the action in the window unfold and I am yet to see a signing that has made me think ‘wow’; for all the money that our clubs now have, we cannot say they have bought someone from the elite.

Look at Manchester City, for example. Sterling is a very good player and will take the place of Samir Nasri or Jesus Navas but is that enough to carry them back to first place? What happens if Sergio Aguero gets an injury, as history suggests he will? Does Wilfried Bony give them that fear?

City’s two biggest problems last year were central defence and centre midfield. They have the financial power to rattle Chelsea, so I can’t understand why they haven’t gone for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin to partner Vincent Kompany, who remains an outstanding defender but is maybe reaching the stage where he has to concentrate on his own game.

Manchester City also brought in English midfielder Fabian Delph (centre) from Aston Villa

Liverpool used the money raised from the Sterling deal to sign Christian Benteke from Aston Villa for £32.5m

Fabian Delph is a good player and adds energy that they lacked, but Paul Pogba was the one to go for as Yaya Toure’s long-term replacement. Toure has driven City to two titles, but he’s 32 now and I don’t see him having the energy to do that once again.

Across town, Louis van Gaal has spent more than £200million since he arrived at Old Trafford. That outlay has got them nearer to first place but they are still short, particularly up front and at the back, especially now with the situation surrounding David de Gea.

He was the reason they reached the top four last season but van Gaal thinks he is not in the right frame of mind to face Tottenham. The situation can only be a huge concern. Van Gaal’s remit last year was to get back into the top four. This year United’s fans will want the title but they won’t achieve that. Why? If I write down United’s strongest starting line-up to see which players Mourinho would pick for Chelsea, the only decision I think he has is over Wayne Rooney and Costa.

Benteke is a proven striker but still not in the class of Chelsea's Diego Costa

Liverpool also brought in Roberto Firmino (left) for £29m and signed James Milner (right) on a free

We can all reel off Chelsea’s best XI without thinking twice and assuming they all play together for the vast majority of the new campaign, the only outcome I can see is Mourinho winning the Barclays Premier League for the fourth time. He is not a manager who chops and changes. When Mourinho has the right formula, he sticks with it and it speaks volumes that 10 of his players made more than 40 appearances in all competitions last year.

Chelsea’s inactivity, however, is right to cause Mourinho some anxiety. Not buying players to improve their first team isn’t an issue. Not buying players to improve the strength of the squad, on the other hand, is a problem. Having such a well-known team could lead to complacency.

Over the past year, the depth of their squad has diminished. I wasn’t a huge fan of Andre Schurrle, but he would pop up with a goal or key contribution. Juan Cuadrado, his replacement, has so far been an expensive mistake and given nothing. How much will Radamel Falcao offer? I never saw any sign during his season at Old Trafford of the player who terrorised Chelsea in the European Super Cup final and if Costa’s hamstring issues persist, does Falcao have it in him to score 10-15 goals? I’m not sure.

Petr Cech left Chelsea to move to Arsenal after being made second choice behind Thibaut Courtois

Asmir Begovic has left Stoke to become Courtois’ deputy but is inferior to Cech. Mourinho needs a left back but he won’t find anyone with pedigree like Filipe Luis — who 12 months ago arrived having played in a Champions League final — to provide back up for Cesar Azpilicueta.

You can even factor David Luiz and Juan Mata into this. Mourinho sold them for huge amounts and that funded the title campaign but, whatever he thought about them, he no longer has the quality either would provide from the bench.

Of course Chelsea could not refuse £50million for Luiz from Paris Saint- Germain, and I’m not pretending for a minute I was his biggest admirer, but he was still capable of making decisive contributions.

Manchester United signed a new midfield duo in Bastian Schweinsteiger (left) and Morgan Schneiderlin (right)

Memphis Depay also joined Manchester United from PSV Eindhoven over the summer

Wayne Rooney is the only member of Manchester United's side who may get into Chelsea's first team

Mourinho has said ‘the transfer window is over’ but I can’t see how he will get to September 1 without adding the cover he needs in central defence or left back. He won’t allow anything to compromise his ambition to win trophy after trophy.

His influence always gives Chelsea an edge and, deep down, he will know his rivals have not made a signing to rattle his best team. He will also know the biggest threat to Chelsea’s supremacy does not come from the outside. Given his back up options, the threat lies within.

Stones should ignore the noise and stay put

It has been a summer to make John Stones’ head spin: two rejected bids for his services from Chelsea, Manchester City watching developments and advice that Manchester United is the best place for him to play football.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez admitted on Thursday the speculation had affected the 21-year-old and, with so many people talking about his situation, it could not have failed to get to him. He should ignore the noise, though, and stay right where is. The best place for him for the next two years is Goodison Park, working with Martinez.

Everton defender John Stones has been the subject of transfer bids from champions Chelsea this summer

Why? For starters, it is the style of play Martinez implements. Stones is a great reader of the game, composed in possession and starts attacks from the back. Martinez will encourage him to develop those skills.

There will be mistakes along the way, playing in that fashion, but Martinez would be more tolerant of them.

I wouldn’t expect that to be the case with Jose Mourinho, who doesn’t accept mistakes or learning on the job from those in his team.

Will Stones play every week at Chelsea? No. He would have more of a chance at City or United but even then there would be no guarantee. The problem with playing as a centre back is that defenders don’t tend to get rotated — rightly so — and that could mean long periods out of the team.

The 21-year-old centre back Stones has also been watched by Manchester City and Manchester United

It’s also hard for young defenders to get established at top clubs. I wasn’t a regular at the centre of Liverpool’s back four when I was 21. You are still learning at that age and, similar to a goalkeeper, when mistakes happen it is much more costly in that area of the field.

When Stones moves to a club that is competing for honours, it has to be when he is guaranteed to go straight into the team.

That time will come but hasn’t arrived yet and there are still elements to his game that he needs to improve.

Any slip-ups along the way will be dealt with more leniently at Everton, rather than in the glare of supporters and the media talking about a £30million player. That is why the best place for his development is Goodison Park.

Man of the week - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

He was excellent in the Community Shield win over Chelsea and scored a fine goal — was his performance at Wembley a sign of things to come for the new season?

There has always been a buzz around Oxlade-Chamberlain and when he was leaving Southampton, Liverpool were one of the clubs in the bidding.

His dad, Mark, visited Melwood and Steven Gerrard and I both spoke with him in the hope he would make a big move north.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the winner in the Community Shield as Arsenal beat Chelsea

Oxlade-Chamberlain in training at Arsenal's London Colney headquarters ahead of the new season

Liverpool’s loss was Arsenal’s gain. He has done reasonably well at the Emirates but this is a big year for Oxlade-Chamberlain. He’s a player with plenty of attributes — he’s quick, strong and has an eye for goal —but what would you say his best position is?