A Chelsea exodus is underway as the club are considering moving nine players out in this window. According to Liam Twomey and Roshane Thomas for The Athletic, these moves are a significant part of trimming the wage bill at the West London club.
Chelsea Exodus for New Arrivals
Chelsea have spent big this summer & a £60m deal for Anthony Gordon would be their biggest gamble.
A hefty premium was inevitable – but does his body of work come close to a valuation like this?@liam_twomey weighs up Todd Boehly's latest #CFC targethttps://t.co/uks3mEjmH0
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 24, 2022
Which Key Players Could Leave?
Several key players are at risk in this mass exit from the club. According to Fabrizio Romano, Callum Hudson-Odoi is approaching a move to Bayer Leverkusen, bringing an end to a once-promising spell at Chelsea.
Christian Pulisic is also on offer, with a move away from Cobham on the cards. Twomey and Thomas from The Athletic noted that: “Significant offers for Pulisic would likely be welcomed by Chelsea and the player himself”.
Stamford Bridge is ready. 🏟️ #CHETOT pic.twitter.com/kzWaFQ2PY7
— CFC Pics (@Mohxmmad) August 14, 2022
Which Fringe Players Could Leave?
Having completed season after season accruing young talent in the hopes of development, the Stamford Bridge side has a series of players on the books on high wages. Players such as Billy Gilmour, now without a shirt number despite his earlier promise, could look for a move to get more game time. Summer signing Carney Chukwumeka only puts the Scot further down the pecking order, as does Chelsea’s potential signing of Leicester City‘s Wesley Fofana for young defender Trevoh Chalobah.
Some of the club’s fringe players are less young and have significantly fewer signs of promise. Baba Rahman has a total of 15 appearances in seven years in West London and Ross Barkley is below the Blues’ current standards, alongside Kenedy, Michy Batshuayi and Ethan Ampadu. With Financial Fair Play (FFP)restrictions potentially at play, this Chelsea exodus is likely to hit higher-paid players that have no chance of playing for the club.
Which Players Are Coming In?
This is an expensive window for Chelsea. Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly are already at the club, joining over the summer. However, the business isn’t done yet. The Blues have an interest in Wesley Fofana at Leicester, with bid after bid seeing rejection. However, this move is even more urgent, with the aforementioned Senegalese defender suspended until the end of the window after a red card at Leeds United.
Thomas Tuchel is also seeking attacking options. Chelsea have a bid in for Everton youngster Anthony Gordon. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong remains the object of the Blues’ affections, with the club pursuing the player since the start of the window. However, each of these deals has expensive potential wages. This exodus is a necessity for Chelsea, opening up enough space for more effective wage allocation on world-class signings.
