Chelsea’s squad overhaul continues – who else could be leaving Stamford Bridge?

By Sports Desk July 13, 2023

After their worst season in nearly 30 years, Chelsea have never had a more critical summer in terms of transfer business.

Departures are likely to prove as crucial as new signings and there has been plenty of movement in both directions, with expectation that more business will take place throughout the window.

The PA news agency looks at what has been done and what to expect ahead of Mauricio Pochettino’s first season in charge.

How urgent is it all?

Very. Chelsea have a bloated first-team squad following owner Todd Boehly’s scattergun first 12 months at the helm, with more than £600million spent on transfers.

Successive managers in Graham Potter and Frank Lampard admitted to finding the job of accommodating so many players an almost unworkable challenge, and since January there has been little consistency in team selection or shape.

There is also the matter of satisfying Financial Fair Play rules. With sky-high outgoings and no income from European football, something has to be done to balance the books.

Chelsea have so far confirmed the sale of nine players since the window opened last month.

Who’s on the way in?

Christopher Nkunku has joined from RB Leipzig for £53m after a pre-contract agreement was reached in January for the France international.

With the team having recorded their lowest goal tally in almost a century last campaign, Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson has also been added to Pochettino’s attacking options.

Moises Caicedo of Brighton is a long-term target but no bid has been made since the Seagulls rebuffed Chelsea’s repeated overtures in January.

Pochettino is reported to have turned his attention to France Under-21 and Lyon winger Rayan Cherki as a replacement for Christian Pulisic.

Who has already left?

Chelsea have raised eyebrows with the amount of outgoings from Stamford Bridge in the last month, which has allowed Pochettino to streamline his bloated squad ahead of their pre-season tour to the US.

N’golo Kante accepted a reported £86m-a-year offer to become the latest star name to swap a major European club for Saudi Arabia.

Defender Kalidou Koulibaly was in and out of the team during his one season in blue and left for Al-Hilal less than 12 months after joining from Napoli.

Mason Mount’s contract saga came to an end when he penned a five-year deal with Manchester United in a move away from his boyhood side.

Edouard Mendy’s three years in west London came to an end when he made the move to Saudi side Al-Ahli after falling behind in the goalkeeper pecking order to Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Kai Havertz signed for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal for a reported £65million, while Mateo Kovacic was picked up by Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning Manchester City on a permanent deal as a replacement for club captain Ilkay Gundogan.

Captain Cesar Azpilicueta also bid farewell to the club after 11 years of service, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Pulisic joined up with former teammates Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud at AC Milan.

Who will be next?

Hakim Ziyech’s move to Al-Nassr fell through at the last minute and Chelsea will still be keen to shift the unwanted winger before the window closes.

Conor Gallagher has attracted interest from a number of potential suitors but the 23-year-old could be vital for Chelsea next season, with midfield options looking short after this summer’s fire sale.

Brighton could bid again for Levi Colwill after his stellar performances in England’s European Under-21 Championship campaign – the young centre-back is yet to commit to a long-term deal.

Who else is surplus to requirements?

Striker Romelu Lukaku is eager to return to Inter where he spent last season on loan, though Chelsea have reportedly been unwilling to agree to another temporary move as they seek a permanent transfer.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another outcast to have been linked with the Saudi Pro League and is unlikely to have a future at Stamford Bridge, though it is thought he remains unconvinced about a move to the Gulf.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chelsea could part ways this summer but there has been no concrete interest from potential clubs after the winger’s underwhelming loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen.

Related items

  • Moyes to leave West Ham at end of season Moyes to leave West Ham at end of season

    West Ham have confirmed that David Moyes will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.

    It comes after reports on Monday that former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui agreed a deal to take over from the Scot.

    Moyes, who has overseen 260 games so far during his two spells with the club, guided West Ham to their first European trophy since 1965 when they beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in 2023.

    In a club statement, Moyes said: “I have enjoyed four and a half brilliant years at West Ham, and the club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019.

    “When I joined West Ham for a second time, the club was one place above the relegation zone, and it has been a terrific journey to have achieved three consecutive seasons in Europe.

    “I would like to thank all the players for their support, and all the success they have achieved over the last four and a half years.

    “I have really enjoyed working with everyone at West Ham, and I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to manage this great club.

    “I wish my eventual successor, the directors, the players, the staff, the fans, and everybody at West Ham, all the very best for the future.”

    This season, Moyes has come under increasing pressure after a poor run of form, including a 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea on Sunday.

    However, after saving West Ham from relegation in both stints at the club, first between November 2017 and May 2018 and then from November 2019, Moyes has overseen three successive European campaigns.

    With two games left of the campaign, Moyes boasts a record of 111 from his 260 matches, with a win percentage of 44.7 per cent in all competitions over both spells in charge.

  • Ten Hag hits back at Mourinho dig over Man United board backing Ten Hag hits back at Mourinho dig over Man United board backing

    Erik ten Hag has hit back at Jose Mourinho after the former Manchester United manager said he did not get the same level of support as the Dutchman.

    Mourinho, who spent two and a half years in charge of United, suggested in an interview with the Telegraph that he did not have the same backing in the transfer market, or the same level of "trust" instilled in him as Ten Hag.

    The former Ajax manager recently spoke to Sky Sports about failing to sign stars like Harry Kane, with the club instead choosing to invest in younger players with potential, like Rasmus Hojlund.

    Ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at the club with just one year left on his contract following a disappointing second campaign. New co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has given no guarantees that he will keep his post next season.

    Now, Ten Hag has responded to Mourinho’s claims, stating that the Portuguese coach was the only manager after Alex Ferguson to be given backing by the board.

    Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ten Hag said: "Apart from Mourinho, the manager didn't get the players they wanted, and that is what you need.

    "I am confident we will achieve our goals, but it is a tough competition. It is not a two-horse race anymore.

    "There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] who all go for the title, who all have very good squads. So if you want to go to the title, you have to construct that squad."

  • PSG not obsessed with scoring twice against Dortmund - Luis Enrique PSG not obsessed with scoring twice against Dortmund - Luis Enrique

    Paris Saint-Germain lost their Champions League semi-final first leg 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund last Wednesday, but that does not mean they will go all out to score twice in the return game, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.

    The Ligue 1 champions overturned a one-goal deficit against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, winning 4-1 in the second leg, but PSG are prepared to take the game with Dortmund to extra time if that is what is needed.

    "The aim isn't to win by two goals, but to win, if you think you have to score two goals, that seems like a big target," Luis Enrique told a press conference ahead of Tuesday's game in Paris.

    "We just want to play and score. If we score in the 89th minute, it will carry on. We don't need to score right away, we just want to win the game.

    The Spaniard wants his side concentrated on all aspects of their game, not only in attack, and a goal from the Germans won't be the end of the world.

    "You could score twice in two minutes, but you could also concede a goal," he added.

    "We have to be 100 per cent focused on attack and defence. If we concede a goal, it is not serious, we have to stay calm. If we score twice very quickly, our opponents will have to react.

    "It will be an even game with a high level of play on and off the ball, so it will be tough for both teams."

    Since last week's loss, Luis Enrique has declared on more than one occasion that PSG will win the return game, saying: "That is the only sentence I know in French, 'on va gagner' we are going to win.

    "It is a sentence I like, and I always think my team will win, so that is what I say."

    PSG have home advantage for the second leg, and Luis Enrique has no doubt that the Parc des Princes will once again be a driving force for his team.

    "I think the role of the fans will be vital, as it has been throughout the season," the manager said.

    "We have a total guarantee that the fans will be fully behind us as they have been all year, particularly when we need them, and this isn't a normal thing.

    "We will all be together, and I hope we can celebrate a victory and a place in the final."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.