Over the past two transfer windows, Chelsea have become renowned for their action in signing players. Todd Boehly has splashed over £600million on new signings since Clearlake Capital completed their £4.25bn takeover to make the club the most active in the transfer market.
Seven players arrived on a permanent basis in January in a bid to rescue the Blues' 2022/23 campaign. The rewards are beginning to rain in for Graham Potter this month but the ultimate goal will be in returning the club back to the pinnacle of domestic and European football.
As comes with an influx of new faces through the door, players will leave the opposite direction and the summer will see a number of players say goodbye to Cobham. There are currently 32 senior players at Potter's disposal and with further signings expected, there will be some tough decisions to make in the summer.
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Come the end of the season, various players will be entering the final 12 months of their contract at Stamford Bridge. Of the seven players whose current deals will come to an end at the end of next season, none have shown any indication of committing their futures.
Mason Mount's future in west London continues to be negotiated with the club while Mateo Kovacic - like Mount - continues to be a player Chelsea are keen to persuade to stay. However, the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic all have their futures unclear.
But there's also the fear of seeing the players whose deal expires in 2025 leave on a free. Boehly and the club ownership have implemented a policy to prevent players from entering the final two years of their deal.
The majority of players mentioned above are either likely to be sold this summer or have their future resolved. But for the seven players who enter the final two years at the end of this season, this summer is crucial for them.
Edouard Mendy is one case that has split opinion amongst the fanbase at Stamford Bridge. The goalkeeper was Thomas Tuchel's number one before losing his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga following Potter's arrival this season. Kepa has produced a string of impressive displays and arguably deserves to remain as first-choice.
The 31-year-old has not played a competitive game since the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger at the start of the year. His future in England remains in doubt after previously holding contract talks with the club, but no agreement is said to be close to completion.
According to The Times, the Senegal international has failed to reach an agreement with Chelsea and could be one of the players axed in the summer. It's expected the goalkeeper options will be considered at the end of the season with a number of Premier League shot-stoppers identified as targets.
Reports previously have suggested that the Blues are ready to offload one of Kepa or Mendy in the summer. Brentford's David Raya has emerged as a possible replacement as well as Brighton's Robert Sanchez.
Similar to Mount's current contract dilemma, the Chelsea hierarchy face a telling couple of months in moulding the future of the club. Ensuring they avoid losing any assets on a free transfer in the future will be key in balancing the books in the long term after a mass overhaul of spending.
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