Having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen for free over the summer, Chelsea know the risks and pitfalls of contracts running down. As January commences, the time for pursuing free agents arrives and brings with it the chance to secure players that may well have been unattainable previously.
Six months out from the expiry of June 2023 deals there are a host of top end players that can now be hit up over the prospect of moving on in the summer for nothing. A 'selling' club's worst nightmare and a 'buying' club's favourite. Rudiger and Christensen could have fetched around £100million between them in market value had they been sold.
Chelsea are not only keen to explore all avenues of possibility given their need for wholesale squad changes but they may need to save some of their funds and be smart with spending having already splashed over £250million since the summer on top of an expected £50million for Christopher Nkunku and £106m for Enzo Fernandez, should he join.
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This all means that to ensure an optimum budget is left over for the summer, which could be just as active yet again, the club are wise with their incomings. In a list compiled by football.london here are some names that are out of contract and could join for free.
Lionel Messi has been missed off with the expectation that he will remain at Paris Saint-Germain and if not a France stay he will move to MLS side Inter Miami instead. Konrad Laimer also has an agreement to join Bayern Munich, so he has been left off too.
Milan Skriniar
The Slovakian defender was one of the options looked at over the summer with 12-months still left to run. He is currently embroiled with Inter Milan over a new deal though the option of him leaving is very much still a possibility.
Chelsea are looking for new defenders due to the age of their current crop and have been massive admirers of Skriniar for several years. He has reportedly been offered the captaincy at San Siro in a bid to retain his services but if that fails then Chelsea will be amongst the clubs right on hand to take advantage.
Wilfried Zaha
As another player that was heavily linked with a move over the summer Zaha could move onto Chelsea's radar yet again. The winger hasn't agreed an extension on his current deal.
The 30-year-old has six goals and two assists in the league this season and offers a direct threat in attack that may suit Chelsea, especially with the possibility of Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech both moving on. Zaha's age does pose questions though with Boehly keen to create a younger squad atmosphere.
While Zaha is now free to negotiate with clubs from abroad on a free transfer in the summer, the Blues would have to wait until the end of the season to seal a deal.
Karim Benzema
The Ballon d'Or winner, anyone? What could go wrong? Don't think of Andriy Shevchenko. Benzema is possibly the most high-profile name out of contract having been crowned as the world's best player last year. His hat-trick at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League quarter-final also ironically shows he is capable of scoring goals in England.
However, at 35 he is another that doesn't fit the profile mould of new recruits. Unless Pierre-Emerik Aubemayang was to leave then it's unlikely that two players 34 and older would be lining up in the same attack come the start of next season. He is also, unsurprisingly, being heavily negotiated with by Real Madrid in order to keep him at Santiago Bernabeu.
Marcus Thuram
As more of an outside option Thuram has impressed in Bundesliga this season with 10 goals and three assists in 15 games. He also impressed for France at the World Cup over the winter too.
The Borussia Monchengladbach forward has been linked to Manchester United and Arsenal but may well appear on Boehly's shortlist due to his ability to play across a forwardline.
Youssoufa Moukoko
A man that Chelsea are already competing for is Moukoko. The 18-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in Europe having scored a remarkable volume of goals in his youth career. Borussia Dortmund are heavily pushing to extend his deal but strong interest from the Blues, Barcelona and Liverpool makes him one to watch.
Dortmund have been vocal in their bid to convince him to sign but with a strong youth recruitment drive Chelsea pose as a genuine alternative destination for the German international should he choose to move on.
Adrien Rabiot
The final player on the list is another that was considered over the summer having entered the final year of his deal at Juventus. He has also been offered to Tottenham and Manchester United, though the latter had reservations over his wages.
The 27-year-old played a key role in a 4-3-3 for Didier Deschamps during the World Cup and did his prospects of securing a big move in 2023 no harm. Chelsea's need for more bodies in midfield could lend themselves to looking into Rabiot once more.
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