Chelsea trio Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta face an uncertain future in west London, with Roman Abramovich's sale of the club raising questions over any potential new deals.
Abramovich has announced plans to sell the club after nearly 20 years as owner, though an opening offer has reportedly been knocked back with the Russian's advisor suggesting there is no "rush" to sell.
There has also been uncertainty over the future of Marina Granovskaia, the director who has been at the forefront of much of Chelsea's transfer and contract business over the last decade.
Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta are all out of contract at the end of the coming season, with negotiations having taken place over the past few months, albeit with no new terms agreed.
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According to The Telegraph, the trio "fear being left in limbo" as Abramovich listens to offers for the club.
All three are permitted to speak to foreign clubs over potential pre-contract agreements, which would allow any one of them to leave Stamford Bridge over the summer.
Azpilicueta and Christensen have both been linked with Barcelona, while reports earlier this month suggested Chelsea would be ready to meet Rudiger's contract demands to keep in in west London.
"We can't help it. It is what it is. But maybe it has a positive effect on negotiations or maybe a negative effect. We can't predict," Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel told the media ahead of the Premier League game against Burnley.
"Still I think Chelsea is a strong club and will stay a strong club. Our owner has decided to sell the club but he is selling a strong and organised club at the highest level."
As talks over a sale continue, with reports suggesting an agreement with a Swiss-American consortium could be reached as soon as Monday, former Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira has reportedly left his role with the club.
The Portuguese international, who was part of the Blues' 2012 Champions League winning side, is understood to have left for personal reasons rather than in response to the potential sale.
Ferreira had been working as a technical coach with the Blues, but football.london reports that he has returned to Portugal to be closer to his family.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has welcomed the potential sale of the club, telling the Financial Times Business of Football Summit: "I think the situation has escalated incredibly quickly over the last seven days and he's come to the right conclusion".
"It's unsustainable in the current environment. It's a welcome decision and obviously, for the sake of everybody, including the fans, as soon as the sale process concludes everyone has certainty," Masters added.
The consortium reported to be leading the way for a takeover is headed up by Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly, and Masters has spoken about the possibility of a quick resolution to the situation.
"I think the quickest (sale) we have ever done is 10 days, that's not to say that record can't be beaten but normally it takes a number of weeks," he said.
"It all depends on the complexity of the deal and the number of potential owners. Provided the information is easily digestible, easily understandable and gives us all the right answers it can be done relatively quickly."
