Reports from L'Équipe indicate that every transfer window, Chelsea's management invariably becomes a target of criticism, with any pretext serving to fault them.

An inflated squad, an abundance of loaned-out players, transfer overspending, and ridiculous contract lengths: the Blues have truly become a prominent laughingstock in football circles. This season is no exception; with the English transfer window halfway through, the London club boasts the Premier League's "largest" squad. Chelsea, who finished tenth in the Premier League last season, currently have about 38 contracted players on their roster, and will soon officially sign 17-year-old Kazakh prospect Dastan Satpayev.

Todd Boehly's team will likely continue to operate before the September 1st transfer deadline in England, but as of now, Chelsea still has the most first-team players in the Premier League. Tottenham follows closely with 37 players, but as of July 22nd, the average squad size for Premier League teams was only 29.4 players. Looking at Europe's top five leagues, only Napoli, Sassuolo, and Venezia have larger squads than Chelsea, with 41 players. However, Chelsea has actually been "trimming down" in the past two years: in the 2024-2025 season, they had as many as 58 registered players.

Fierce competition for goalkeeper spots

The goalkeeper position alone highlights the redundancy in Chelsea's squad. Starting goalkeeper Robert Sánchez is joined by Filip Jorgensen, Pendes returning from loan at Strasbourg, Gabriel Slonina, and Sharman-Lowe. Jorgensen, who served as the backup to Spain's number one goalkeeper last season, now faces additional competition from Pendes—the latter having accumulated significant match experience during his time at Chelsea-owned Strasbourg.

Over-staffed defense

In defense, each position has at least three players. The right flank originally saw competition between Reece James, Gusto, and Josh Achampong. This summer, Chelsea further strengthened the position by signing Palestra from Atalanta for €57 million. At center-back, Anselmino and Disasi have returned from loan, but they face competition from Colwill, Chalobah, Fofana, Sarr, Adarabioyo, and Badiashile. At left-back, after Cucurella's departure, Hato has become the starter, with Willie and Denner as his backups.

Midfield shortage

In contrast, the midfield is Chelsea's thinnest area. The team boasts a top double pivot of Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández, but apart from this pairing, manager Xabi Alonso has few other available options. Lavia and Darío Essugo had limited playing time last season, and André Santos transferred to Manchester United for €56.3 million.

Enzo can also move forward to play as an attacking midfielder, but the team originally planned for Palmer to occupy this key position. Palmer, a former Manchester City player who missed out on the 2026 World Cup squad, now faces competition from his compatriot Morgan Rogers—Rogers had an impressive performance in North American competitions this summer. Chelsea signed this former Aston Villa player for €137.3 million, a transfer fee that ranks among the top five in football history.

Imbalanced forward line

The congestion in Chelsea's attack directly impacts the team's squad construction and balance. On the right wing, Estêvão and Pedro Neto welcome a new partner: Chelsea spent €50 million to sign 19-year-old Portuguese talent Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP. The left wing has relatively fewer players, with Garnacho and Bynoe-Gittens competing for a starting spot, while Mudryk remains suspended due to a positive drug test.

The real challenge lies in the center-forward position. After Nicolas Jackson and David Fofana return from loan, Pedro, Delap, Emega, and Guiu will fiercely compete for the starting striker role. To make matters worse, Chelsea will not participate in European competitions in the 2026-2027 season, meaning they will only be able to register 25 first-team players in the Premier League.

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