Chelsea could see their outgoing transfer activity speed up in the coming week as preparation for trimming Thomas Tuchel's squad collides with an opening day trip to Everton.
The Blues are desperate to cut ties with some of their underperforming, senior or overpaid players this summer with 10 first team members out of contract next summer, though that could be a season too late for the drastic action needed.
Not only have Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger already left, two moves that the club would have preferred not to happen, and Romelu Lukaku has a temporary solution to his disastrous return, Tuchel still wants to shed the bulk of his squad with up to eight players all keen to move on this summer.
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Towards the front of the list of players that are taking up a large portion of the club's wages for minimal return is Timo Werner and the striker has made a breakthrough in his bid to reignite hopes of being in Germany's World Cup squad as the forward is willing to accept a large pay cut that could be up to 50 per cent in order to move back to RB Leipzig, according to reports.
His noble decision is one that only benefits both parties, and whilst his recent comments haven't helped an already struggling relationship with Tuchel, the German forward hasn't been a malicious character, making an exit all the more likely and smooth.
football.london understands that an initial structure for Werner's departure could be in the form of a loan with a purchase option after the first season, using a system that Todd Boehly is looking increasingly hopeful of exploiting. It was reported last week that Chelsea were exploring the loan market to not only purchase players but also relieve themselves of current squad members that are unattractive due to high prices and large wages. It is believed that Hakim Ziyech is another player that may still exit the club this summer with a loan-to-buy deal being explored with AC Milan.
The latest player to be looking at a short-term departure is Kepa Arrizabalga. The Spanish keeper is currently still second choice to Edouard Mendy with Tuchel making it clear that Kepa has little chance to usurp his teammate in the pecking order. Although the £72million signing has had a resurgence in form under Tuchel it is not enough to fetch back even half of his massive transfer fee in 2018, therefore making a permanent deal tough to find.
Kepa has been a good professional at the club and has never caused an issue within the squad but given his desire to play in the World Cup this winter, he needs to have first team football, and an option might have come up. Italian club Napoli are looking for a new keeper and have put Chelsea's stopper on their four man shortlist, says CalcioMercato. Alongside Keylor Navas, Neto and Kevin Trapp, Kepa is an experienced option for the Serie A side, though a move is not likely to happen urgently as they explore their options.
Napoli, like others, would not be able to afford his wages for the season and so Kepa would have to take a pay cut, something that he is willing to do in order to revive his first choice career. Although the reported £3m a year fee might not be up to Chelsea's requirements, knowing that a deal is on the table is a good start for the Blues who are keen to rebuild their squad this summer.
Although Napoli aren't in a rush, Chelsea's newfound relationship with the Italian club could help a move advance swiftly if an offer was put in place. The Blues had no hiccups in their pursuit and eventual transfer of Kalidou Koulibaly and that is after a previously strained relationship with Aurelio De Laurentiis in deals for Jorginho and attempts to buy Koulibaly in the past.
With Boehly and Behdad Eghbali now handling negotiations, it could open up fresh opportunities in the transfer market.
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