CHELSEA could move on 11 players this summer as they try and trim their inflated squad.
After spending over £1BILLION on players alone under Todd Boehly the Blues continue to flirt with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Chelsea have seen that the league’s PSR regulations have real teeth with the punishments dished out to Everton and Nottingham Forest and will have to do what they can to avoid a points deduction themselves.
While another disappointing league campaign this term means Mauricio Pochettino will have areas of his team that he wants to improve on this summer.
In order to do that the Stamford Bridge outfit will have to shift on a lot of players to balance the books and football.london have revealed the 11 starts that face the chopping block in SW6.
Academy graduates represent “pure profit” when it comes to PSR and any sales would go a long way to helping Chelsea get some money in the bank to spend on new arrivals.
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The Blues aren’t short of stars that were made at Cobham and perhaps the most high profile graduate that could leave in the summer is CONOR GALLAGHER.
Gallagher has been linked with an exit from the club for a long time and despite being one of the team’s standout payers this term is still likely to be leave west London at the end of the season.
It’s reported that Gallagher wants to stay at the club, but with his value looking high and just over a year left on his contract the 24-year-old could be shipped off to make way for some new talent.
Fellow academy graduate TREVOH CHALOBAH is said to be seen as “expandable” by the club heading into the end of the season.
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The defender has struggled to become a big part of the Chelsea side since breaking through and has been close to leaving multiple times – including a last minute collapse on a deal to Bayern Munich.
Chelsea have three more academy stars who have been shipped out on loan this season and could be sold permanently when they return home.
IAN MAATSEN is currently on loan with Borussia Dortmund and may leave for good in the coming months.
Fulham loanee ARMANDO BROJA may finally find a new permanent home after multiple loan spells and constant links away – football.london’s report suggests West Ham hold interest in the striker.
While LEWIS HALL is all-but-gone as his loan move to Newcastle in the summer included an obligation to purchase the full-back for £28m at the end of the season.
If all five of the Cobham Alumni do leave they will join the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi on the list of graduates to make way for new money at Stamford Bridge.
Other stars may be more difficult to shift with £60m man MARC CUCURELLA another possible casualty of a re-jig at the end of the season.
The full-back has struggled since arriving from Brighton in 2022 and Chelsea would be lucky to make much back on their investment given his poor form.
The pure size of the Blues’ squad since their spending spree under Boehly has meant there is even a former “first team” player who isn’t in the squad at all.
MALANG SARR will surely leave the club soon with the £100k-a-week defender not making a competitive appearance for Chelsea since May 2022.
Reports suggest that Brazilian veteran THIAGO SILVA, 39, will also call time on his four-year spell with the club when his contract expires in June.
And three more big-name loan stars could also make a permanent exit from Chelsea when the transfer window opens with a future at the Bridge looking bleak for ROMELU LUKAKU, KEPA ARRIZABALAGA and HAKIM ZIYECH.
Chelsea remain straggling behind the pack in mid-table mediocrity this season and if they can shift on any number of these 11 stars then it could go a long way to helping they get back on track.
Poch himself has made it clear he wants to re-assess the squad in the summer and spoke candidly about the changes that fans can expect to see.
Speaking on the process of improving his side, he said: “It is a normal process that has happened.
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“We need to accept, working and trying to fix this type of problem.
“Always when the end of the season arrives, we need to analyse the squad and what we are missing to try to add people with the capacity to provide what we are seeing today, to improve in the next seasons.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
