Chelsea owner Boehly has 17 players to axe for new Pochettino era
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly must oversee a major clear out of the squad to help Mauricio Pochettino be a success at Stamford Bridge. Express Sport picks 17 players who should be either sold or allowed to leave the Blues in the summer transfer window.
Goalkeepers
Kepa Arrizabalaga – Keep
Pochettino may want to bring in a new keeper but Kepa can be a capable No 2.
Edouard Mendy – Sell
Mendy won the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award in January 2022 so won’t want to sit on the bench.
Marcus Bettinelli – Keep
An experienced keeper who is happy to be third choice and has a contract until 2026.
Gabriel Slonina – Keep
Young American shot-stopper who would benefit from some more time out on loan.
Defenders
Benoit Badiashile – Keep
Only signed in January and has shown some promise in a desperate period.
Thiago Silva – Keep
He may be turning 39 in September but the Brazilian is still the best defender at the club.
Trevoh Chalobah – Keep
Promising youngster who has done well at times and can play in a couple of positions.
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Ben Chilwell – Keep
Needs to stay fit to rediscover his form as one of the best left-backs in the country.
Reece James – Keep
Another player who has been plagued with injuries but plays every week if fit.
Kalidou Koulibaly – Sell
Is way past his best and is only going to head in one direction.
Cesar Azpilicueta – Sell
A great servant to Chelsea but it is time the club moved on, with Barcelona again showing interest.
Marc Cucurella – Sell
The transfer has been nothing short of disastrous and Boehly should be prepared to take a big loss.
Wesley Fofana – Keep
Fofana is the future of the Chelsea defence after an injury-hit first campaign in London.
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Midfielders
Enzo Fernandez – Keep
The most obvious keep on this list. Fernandez is going nowhere.
N’Golo Kante – Keep
Kante’s contract expires in the summer so a decision needs to be made soon.
Mateo Kovacic – Keep
Manchester City are reportedly interested in Kovacic, which shows why Chelsea should do all they can to keep him.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – Sell
Loftus-Cheek is not the level Chelsea are trying to reach.
Mason Mount – Keep
Mount ideally wants to stay and Pochettino could get him back to his best.
Denis Zakaria – Leave
Zakaria will be returning to Juventus at the end of his loan spell.
Conor Gallagher – Sell
Gallagher will have suitors in the Premier League if Pochettino doesn’t see him as part of his plans.
Attackers
Carney Chukwuemeka – Keep
The youngster could perhaps do with a loan spell next season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Sell
Aubameyang probably wants to leave as much as Chelsea want to get him off their books.
Christian Pulisic – Sell
It hasn’t worked out for Pulisic in west London and an exit looks likely.
Joao Felix – Keep
If Chelsea can get Felix on another loan deal then that may be worth pursuing.
Mykhaylo Mudryk – Keep
You can’t give up on an £88m signing just yet but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mudryk go out on loan.
Raheem Sterling – Keep
A lot will depend on whether Pochettino feels he can get Sterling back to the level he showed at City.
Armando Broja – Keep
Promising striker who is recovering from a horror knee injury suffered in December.
Hakim Ziyech – Sell
Ziyech needs to reignite his career with a move elsewhere.
David Fofana – Keep
Young striker signed in January who could benefit from a loan.
Kai Havertz – Keep
Havertz isn’t the answer to the No 9 dilemma but certainly hasn’t been the biggest problem this season.
Noni Madueke – Keep
Another of the January signings who could thrive under Pochettino.
Loanees
Malang Sarr – Sell
Sarr isn’t at Chelsea’s level, which is largely why he was allowed to join Monaco.
Ethan Ampadu – Sell
The versatile Welshman should probably find a permanent home after his fourth loan away from Chelsea.
Levi Colwill – Keep
Colwill has impressed at Brighton and returns as a better defender.
Malo Gusto – Keep
Chelsea will pay up to £30million for the Brazilian who will join up this summer after rejoining Lyon on loan.
Baba Rahman – Sell
Somehow still has another year on his contract but Chelsea must find a way to cancel the deal.
Dujon Sterling – Sell
Another player who is currently on his fourth loan spell and won’t get opportunities if he returns.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – Sell
Bakayoko’s deal doesn’t expire until 2024 but there is no future left for him in west London.
Cesare Casadei – Keep
Young Italian midfielder joined from Inter Milan last summer and has had his first senior experience on loan at Reading.
Andrey Santos – Keep
An exciting player for the future who was denied a work permit in February.
Romelu Lukaku – Sell
Chelsea fans don’t want Lukaku back and can free up plenty of wages if he goes.
Callum Hudson-Odoi – Sell
Hasn’t been the same player since his injury problems and is probably best finding a permanent home elsewhere.
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