There is no mistaking that Chelsea need to sell some players in the summer. The Blues have been busy in the transfer market since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, having spent more than £600million and with few players heading in the opposite direction, Graham Potter has been left with a bloated squad.
With a senior squad of 31 players, a number of stars miss out on each Premier League matchday squad, while the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke ineligible to participate in the Champions League for the remainder of the season. There is little doubt that Potter will be hoping for a more manageable number next term.
The Blues also have a number of players entering the final year of their contracts come the summer and with the club hierarchy seeing the two-year mark on deals as a decisive point moving forwards, a number of pivotal choices will need to be made. As a result, there could be a great deal of turnover come the summer months.
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Since Thomas Tuchel's arrival at Bayern Munich last week, it has not taken long to see the former Chelsea boss connected to a number of his former charges. While the German side's attempts to land Anthony Barry may prove frustrating for the Blues, perhaps Tuchel's knowledge of some players could help them trim the squad. Though the player may dictate whether it is perceived helpful or not.
Chelsea have a number of big names whose contracts are set to expire in 2024 who could prove intriguing to Tuchel. Mason Mount's inability to agree a contract to remain in west London has been well-documented, with Liverpool already waiting to pounce and murmuring's of the German's interest have already started to emerge.
Seeing Mount head to the Bundesliga would certainly be more palatable than to a Premier League rival if the club cannot come to agreement ahead of the summer, and perhaps more favourable than seeing the 24-year-old leave for free.
Likewise, Mateo Kovacic has seemed to draw interest from rivals, with Manchester City said to be interested in the Croatian. The midfielder's Chelsea future is up in the air with talks yet to begin on his deal and the possibility he sees his future elsewhere.
Christian Pulisic is another whose future could lie away from the club. The USA international hoped to leave Chelsea while Tuchel was in charge of the Blues but has already found success in Germany and in many ways it could be a logical choice for all parties should Pulisic still want to depart, given the arrivals of Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke in January.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been content with his role at Chelsea but a decision will soon need to be made on whether his stay is extended. Whether the Blues believe he remains worthy of his salary will be seen. Tuchel rated Loftus-Cheek highly even if he drew some frustration and the Cobham product has the versatility that could prove useful of any squad player at the elite level.
While reports suggest there is no room for Kai Havertz at Bayern Munich just yet, the German international could still come into Tuchel's thinking. If the Blues fail to make the Champions League there's every chance that Havertz could consider his option and a return to his homeland's biggest club could prove appealing.
With the likes of Thomas Mueller beginning to age, the 23-year-old Havertz could prove attractive to help any transition that is required and in the summer will reach that pivotal two years remaining on his contract.
Perhaps the most helpful deal Tuchel could be involved in is that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The forward is set to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer after being signed for the former Chelsea coach, though Tuchel was relieved of his duties very shortly after.
Whether the Bundesliga champions would be interested in the 33-year-old remains to be seen, but his friendship with Tuchel could prove helpful in the Blues getting the Gabonese forward off their books.
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