Chelsea’s total Stamford Bridge overhaul shows no signs of abating, more than two years into the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital regime.
New head coach Enzo Maresca admitted on Sunday after the Blues’ 2-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester City that Chelsea cannot carry some 30-plus players in their squad this term.
Maresca had previously insisted Chelsea need a bumper squad to cope with the demands of a gruelling campaign that includes the unrelenting Europa Conference League.
Chelsea have been working all summer on finding exits for a number of players, with Conor Gallagher still waiting on a move to Atletico Madrid and Romelu Lukaku expected to join Napoli.
The likes of Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja are also staring down permanent exits, but there are plenty more besides who will be allowed to leave before the August 30 transfer deadline.
Here, Standard Sport examines the list of Chelsea players who could yet leave the club either permanently or on loan before the end of the month.
Djordje Petrovic
Chelsea only signed Serbia goalkeeper Petrovic in August 2023, with the 24-year-old a £14million capture last summer.
A regular between the sticks last term, Petrovic battled it out with Robert Sanchez, a recruit from Brighton, for the starting berth under Mauricio Pochettino.
New head coach Maresca’s whole possession-based system relies on the goalkeeper boasting first-class distribution skills though, and because of that Chelsea have recruited Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal in this window. Strasbourg, owned by Chelsea’s chiefs, are considering a season-long loan for Petrovic.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
The world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he arrived at Chelsea in 2018 for £71.6million, Kepa has never managed to settle at Stamford Bridge, despite his west London tenure now stretching to six years.
Spent last term on loan at Real Madrid but is unlikely to make a return to the Spanish super club. Instead, options in Saudi will be on the table. Among those yet to be assigned a squad number, further indicating his surplus status.
At 29 though, his best years can still be ahead of him, and couple that with him retaining the highest ambitions, the market for a permanent move could still be tricky.
Trevoh Chalobah
Effective confirmation of Chelsea’s determination to sell academy product Chalobah came when the Blues signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham at the start of the summer window.
Available for £25million with Chelsea determined to cash in, Chalobah has always performed well and proved ultra reliable across more than 50 senior appearances.
Fulham were unable to make headway in an attempt to capture Chalobah as a replacement for Tosin, while Crystal Palace will move for the 25-year-old if Newcastle pull off a deal for Marc Guehi. Newcastle could turn their attention to Chalobah if unsuccessful in their ambitious move for Eagles and England man Guehi.
Ben Chilwell
A £45million recruit under Frank Lampard who won the Champions League in 2021 as a favourite under Thomas Tuchel, England left-back Chilwell now finds himself available for sale. New head coach Maresca’s preferred tactical set-up is to invert at least one of his full-backs, and the perceived wisdom within the Chelsea coaching ranks is that Chilwell has so far wrestled with that style.
Certainly Chilwell’s talents are best used in a traditional marauding wide role, overlapping or dovetailing with a winger or forward. Manchester United are thought to be monitoring his situation.
Bashir Humphreys
Academy graduate central defender Humphreys broke into the England Under-21 picture in 2023, but is now expected to leave Chelsea in this window. Leeds tracked the former Swansea loanee, but now Burnley are expected to complete a deal for the 21-year-old.
Burnley look likely to strike either an immediate permanent signing, or a season-long loan with the option of firming up the transfer next summer.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Among the first cohort of Boehly/Clearlake signings in the summer of 2022, Chelsea paid Aston Villa £20million for the then 18-year-old midfielder. Chukwuemeka has battled injuries along the way in a bid to establish himself in the Blues’ crowded midfield picture.
And after Sunday’s loss to City, Maresca admitted Chukwuemeka might be best off finding regular first-team football at another club this season. Crystal Palace are closely monitoring his situation but may be put off should the asking price move much beyond the £20million Chelsea paid for the promising midfielder. Available on loan too, but wages could be a stumbling block unless the Blues were to subsidise a temporary switch.
Conor Gallagher
Mauricio Pochettino’s trusted captain last season in the injury absence of Reece James, now England midfielder Gallagher finds himself surplus to requirements at his boyhood club.
Still poised to make the long-mooted £33.7million move to Atletico Madrid, Gallagher is now waiting for the Spanish club to raise the funds to push his transfer through. Chelsea are still working on a permanent deal to sign Joao Felix from Atletico, that would allow Gallagher’s move to complete.
Cesare Casadei
Like Chukwuemeka, Casadei numbered among the first tranche of signings by the new owners, joining from Inter Milan in the summer of 2022 for £12million.
After loans at Reading and Leicester the Italian midfielder had returned to the Blues this summer in a bid to establish himself fully in west London. Fiorentina, Napoli and Lazio are all eyeing a move for the 21-year-old now though, with the Blues open to a deal.
Tino Anjorin
The 22-year-old academy graduate could make a permanent move this summer, with Portsmouth still keen to recruit the pacy winger.
Spent last term on loan at Pompey, where his progress was limited by injuries. Had loan stints at Huddersfield and Lokomotiv Moscow in previous seasons.
Raheem Sterling
The first marquee signing of the Boehly-Clearlake era, Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City determined to take his career to the next level. Instead, just two years on he finds himself on the outside looking in under new head coach Maresca.
Chelsea insist Sterling’s omission against Manchester City on Sunday was just a pure selection call, a “technical decision” as Maresca termed it. Sterling still wants a central role however, and a clutch of clubs are still monitoring his situation.
Juventus are keen but will struggle with his high wages, while Paris St Germain are thought to have retained an interest too. Saudi clubs would jump at the chance to sign the England star, who still considers himself at the peak of his powers, and at 29, with plenty more years of his prime to come.
Angelo Gabriel
The Brazil youth international winger spent last term on loan at Strasbourg. Gabriel joined Chelsea for £13million from home club Santos in the summer of 2023 and is regarded as a young star of high potential.
Turkish club Besiktas have looked at a possible move for Gabriel in this window.
Armando Broja
The Blues are ready to sell their academy graduate striker this summer, with Broja having spent last term on loan at Fulham.
The 22-year-old Albania striker had attracted strong interest from the likes of Monaco at the start of the summer transfer window.
A clutch of Premier League clubs have maintained interest too, with Southampton, Ipswich and Everton all still looking closely at a bid for the Slough-born frontman. Broja is among those now without a squad number, after new Blues recruit Pedro Neto took his No 19.
David Datro Fofana
The Ivory Coast striker joined Chelsea from Norwegian club Molde in December 2022 and has since had loans at Union Berlin and Burnley.
Chelsea are thought to prefer a permanent sale for the 21-year-old ahead of another loan stint.
Romelu Lukaku
Returned for a second stint in Chelsea in August 2021 for a club-record £97.5million, as one of the last major recruits of the Roman Abramovich era.
The Belgium hitman struggled to settle on his Stamford Bridge return however, and just a season later was back at former club Inter Milan on a season-long loan. After another season’s loan at Roma, Lukaku is now expected to make a permanent move to Napoli, where he would be reunited with his old Inter boss and former Chelsea coach Antonio Conte.
