Chelsea are set for a major summer clear out with up to 11 players set to leave the club this summer.
The west Londoners will look to reduce their bloated squad following the club’s transfer business under Todd Boehly, with the American owner having invested a record-breaking £566m on new additions since last summer.
Chelsea now have more than 30 senior players in their squad and The Athletic are reporting a summer clear out is set to take place at Stamford Bridge.
Several stars out of contract this summer are expected to leave, including both Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ethan Ampadu who have spent the past season out on loan. N’Golo Kante’s deal also expires this summer, though negotiations are ongoing over a potential extension.
Chelsea also face a decision on a number of players who will enter the final year of their contracts this summer. Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are among the names who could move on.
Of those, Mount and Kovacic remain key figures, but contract negotiations with the former have reached a stand-off, and both Liverpool and Newcastle are monitoring developments.
Graham Potter’s side are tenth in the Premier League table and face a mammoth task to secure Champions League football. An absence from Europe’s elite could accelerate exits at Chelsea, as the club look to raise funds for further recruitment and comply with financial fair play regulations.
Read – Five of the best Champions League comebacks by English teams
Read – Six of Pep Guardiola’s worst ever Champions League fails
