Beijing time (CEST) August 7 – Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella published a column discussing the prospects of Chelsea players departing the club.

Full text of Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella's column

Chelsea faces once again the familiar situation of an oversized squad: currently, there are 41 first-team players, and with only 25 days remaining in the transfer window, this problem must be resolved.

Due to the absence of European competition this season, new manager Enzo Maresca is eager to significantly reduce the squad – several players are currently listed for transfer or loan.

Although the Premier League stipulates a maximum squad size of 25 players, Chelsea can actually register any number of players – because the rules regarding players under 21 and academy-trained players cover the vast majority of the squad. However, the Spanish manager knows that keeping players who cannot participate in matches is in no way beneficial to team harmony.

But even to reduce the squad to a more manageable group of 25 first-team players, Chelsea must sell 16 players before early September.

The Blues have had players in "bomb squads" in the past, such as Sterling and Disasi last season. This practice was later explicitly banned by FIFA, making a significant squad reduction particularly important.

If Chelsea qualifies for European competition, they risk being unable to register certain players, as they experienced when winning the Conference League in the 2024-25 season.

Additionally, they are bound by a settlement agreement with UEFA – which will last three seasons, though UEFA has acknowledged Chelsea's efforts to improve their financial situation.

The Blues are already accustomed to this level of player trading, having built Maresca's squad by signing Morgan Rogers, Péter Etebo, Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, and Lacroix. Furthermore, fullback Chavarría is also about to join Rayo Vallecano, which injects confidence into the team.

However, squad size remains an urgent issue to resolve. In Wednesday's 0-1 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong, they had 21 substitutes on the bench, with only 5 coming from the academy.

Chelsea hopes to maintain a large squad during the final days of its Asian tour. They will face AC Milan in Indonesia on Saturday and Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday, likely fielding two different starting lineups.

However, considering that Palmer and Colwill missed the midweek match due to injuries from the previous friendly, and striker Mudryk is still recovering from a hamstring injury at the training center, the numbers remain remarkable.

Furthermore, five players are not even training with the first team: Badiashile, Disasi, Guiu, David Fofana, and Caleb Wiley, all available for permanent transfer or loan.

Seven players who featured in the second half of the World Cup will be on vacation until next week: Enzo, Reece James, Rogers, Henderson, Lacroix, Barco, and Gusto.

Defender Trevoh Chalobah is expected to transfer to Como for £31 million (including bonuses), while goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen will join sister club Strasbourg on loan.

Who will stay and who will leave?

Last season, Maresca left and Rosenior was sacked; Chelsea finished 10th in the league and missed European competition this season. Maresca now faces difficult choices.

The goalkeeper position appears largely settled: Robert Sánchez will team up with 21-year-old Belgian talent Jörgensen, who impressed during his loan at French club Strasbourg; Sharman-Lowe is expected to be the third goalkeeper.

At fullback, captain Reece James, who can play both in midfield and as a fullback, will team up with Gusto and Péter Etebo on the right flank.

On the left side, Chelsea has Hato and is about to sign Chavarría for £16.3 million. In central defense, Chelsea has nine players, and Maresca has stated this must be reduced to "four or five players".

Disasi and Badiashile are both available for sale, while Mamadou Sarr is expected to leave on loan. This would see new signing Lacroix compete for a place with Colwill, Josh Achampong, Wesley Fofana, and Adarabioyo.

The destination of U20 Argentine international Anselmino remains uncertain, but given his loans to Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg last season, another loan is highly likely.

In midfield, Chelsea has valued Enzo at £120 million, and he is currently exploring various options, though the club is also happy to keep him.

Competing with him for a midfield place are fellow midfielder Caicedo, Romeo Lavia returning from injury, new signing Barco (who can play multiple roles in this area), Henderson, and Dario Esugo.

The young 21-year-old Esugo was told he would stay, but having been hampered by injuries last season, he needs regular playing time and is therefore open to a loan.

In attack, the unexpected return of Mudryk is another situation Chelsea must address. The club insists that all options remain on the table and is evaluating his condition after returning from a 20-month ban for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances.

Gittens is another option on the left wing, while Pedro Neto and new signing Kounde play primarily on the right; Cole Palmer and Rogers are the two number 10s.

Chelsea also hopes to have three strikers for the new season. In addition to João Félix and summer recruit Welbeck, another striker is expected to remain in the squad.

This player is likely Mudryk, but given that Chelsea also has Jackson and Delap in their ranks, the situation remains uncertain.

Chelsea's projected squad for the new season

First-team squad: Sánchez, Jörgensen, Sharman-Lowe, James, Péter Etebo, Adarabioyo, Fofana, Lacroix, Achampong, Colwill, Hato, Chavarría, Caicedo, Enzo, Barco, Lavia, Henderson, Kounde, Neto, Palmer, Estêvão, Rogers, Gittens, Mudryk, João Félix, Welbeck.

Players available for loan: Guiu, Wiley, Kellyman, Mueka, Walsh, Kavuma-McQueen, Kendry Páez.

Players available for sale/uncertain future (estimated transfer fees for some players are in parentheses): Badiashile (£30 million), Disasi (£25 million), Guiu (£25 million), Fofana, Delap, Jackson (£65 million), Slonina, Gusto (£75 million), Enzo (£120 million), Mudryk, Neto, Esugo.

Why does Chelsea accumulate talent?

Chelsea has been accumulating players for over a decade, dating back to the era of former owner Roman Abramovich.

Under Abramovich, up to 42 squad players were loaned out until FIFA introduced restrictions to curb the practice.

However, since Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover in 2022, Chelsea has acquired Strasbourg and joined the growing ranks of European "multi-club ownership" models.

They have also implemented a strategy of recruiting young players on lower wages to provide flexibility for transfers or loans if needed. This includes midfielder Andrey Santos, who joined Chelsea for £12 million after a season in the Brazilian league, then transferred to Manchester United for £50 million.

Since BlueCo took over the club four years ago, Chelsea has invested £1.8 billion in transfers, far exceeding any other club in Europe. However, they have also raised nearly £1 billion through player sales, including a record £300 million from a single Premier League transfer, the highest in Europe over the same period.

Chelsea's player sales this summer are expected to be similar to previous figures, with the total exceeding £150 million including Chalobah's transfer to Como; the loan agreement for Garnacho at Aston Villa includes a mandatory purchase option, which should generate approximately £40 million next summer.

Among the traditional big six clubs, Chelsea has the lowest revenue

This is primarily due to Stamford Bridge's size, poor commercial performance, a shirt sponsorship deal with Adidas that hasn't kept pace with competitors, the absence of a principal shirt sponsor, and failure to qualify for the Champions League in three of the last four seasons.

Like Brighton, Brentford, and Bournemouth, player transfer revenue makes up the majority of the shortfall, even though Chelsea has higher ambitions for trophies and Champions League qualification.

Traduit par IA.

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