Chelsea stand on the precipice of truly entering the transfer window this summer and beginning Thomas Tuchel's rebuild. The Blues have seen players signed for Emma Hayes's team, the development side and even had some players head out on loan.
However, with moves for the likes of Raheem Sterling and Raphinha seemingly progressing and pre-season beginning in earnest this coming weekend, Tuchel will soon see the squad he will utilise in 2022/23 begin to take shape.
As much as the new players coming through the door, Tuchel will have to assess those already in the building to see whether they remain worthy of a place in the Blues' first team squad. The likes of Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour have spent time on loan, and their futures will also need to be deliberated over.
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With the prospect of more wingers coming through the door, a well-stocked area of Chelsea's squad may find individuals looking over their shoulders. Who should Chelsea keep or sell this summer? football.london gives their view on just a few players.
KEEP
While there are a number of players whose futures at Chelsea are in no doubt, such as the likes of Reece James and Mason Mount, others are likely to require more deliberation this summer. Already are the rumours mounting over the futures of the likes of Levi Colwill, Armando Broja and Billy Gilmour.
Increasingly, teams' interest in Colwill has become apparent with Southampton, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest all mentioned in the same breath as the Cobham product. The young defender, who enjoyed an impressive loan at Huddersfield Town last term, is set to return to be assessed by Tuchel in pre-season and will no doubt be keen to experience some first team football.
With no defender forthcoming in the transfer window just yet for Chelsea, that may be possible at Stamford Bridge and with three years left on Colwill's contract, the Blues are in a strong position with regard to his future. Even with new additions, the 19-year-old could enjoy some playing time in cup competitions, and if not, a loan would be more suitable than a sale. Quite frankly, it's difficult to see him not being worth more in 12 months time, even if he does not immediately earn a place in Chelsea's starting XI.
It's not impossible to have a similar line of thinking with regard to Broja. The Albania international has a contract that lasts until 2026 after his deal was extended before his loan to Southampton. The forward is another with a chance to impress this summer, but his peaks and troughs on the south coast suggest he may still have more to learn before breaking into Chelsea's side. West Ham appear interested in the 20-year-old but with just two senior years of football under his belt it would be a premature move for the Blues to accept.
Gilmour's situation is somewhat different following a difficult loan. The Scotland international saw his deal extended by a year this summer but notably, via a clause in his contract rather than new terms necessarily being agreed. The midfielder has been regularly linked with linking up with Frank Lampard at Everton, but has already showed the ability to play at the highest level in Chelsea's midfield. Given the ages of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, this season may be the perfect one to see what Gilmour really has to offer.
SELL
The Blues have some obvious candidates to depart with, providing they can find someone to sell to. Despite being members of the first team squad, Kenedy and Ross Barkly struggled for any playing time at all during the second half of the season. With Tuchel light on bodies on occasion, that was telling in terms of their future with the German coach.
Marcos Alonso is a figure who did earn plenty of playing time in the absence of Ben Chilwell, but with a year now remaining on his deal, it could be the best time for both parties to part ways, Alonso will hope to earn a place in Spain's World Cup squad and as Chilwell returns to fitness may struggle to feature in the starting XI quite as often.
Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech are figures who may well be questioning their future, with Boehly seemingly likely to bring two new wingers into the club. The latter has seemed a player who has struggled to fit coherently in Tuchel's system, despite his ability to make an impact, with reports a move to AC Milan may be on the cards.
Werner, although a fan-favourite because of his work-rate, has struggled to prove himself to be a consistent threat for the Blues. He is firmly behind the likes of Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, and with two more bodies, would likely see himself as fifth or sixth choice for two spots on the wing. This summer may be the last Chelsea can still extract some value for the German forward.
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