‘Almost every player’ could be up for sale this summer as Chelsea eye squad overhaul

The Chelsea squad could look completely different next season should they follow through on their transfer plans this summer, according to reports.

Despite the spend in excess of £600 million over the past two transfer windows, the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership are set for another busy window this summer.

Chelsea have struggled this season and it’s been reflected in their Premier League position, currently 11th, as well as getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup at the first hurdle.

The squad, currently managed by caretaker boss Frank Lampard, is bloated. Previous head coach Graham Potter had to manage working with a squad of more than 30 over the course of the season, making it challenging for the 47-year-old during training and selecting his matchday squad and starting XI.

Players are now playing for their futures with an overhaul expected this summer as Chelsea look to trim the squad and balance the books following their lavish spend which could continue ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Many need their contract situations resolving and others are set to be axed should suitable offers arrive. Chelsea also need to make room for their new signings, with Malo Gusto joining up with the team in the summer and Christopher Nkunku expected to arrive from RB Leipzig.

Co-owner Boehly went in on the squad after their 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, labelling the season as “embarrassing” as he tried to motivate them for their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge.

Now, as reported by The Guardian, ‘there have been suggestions that almost every player will be up for sale this summer’ with the club looking to make sure they comply with Financial Fair Play rules.

The likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all have uncertain futures at Chelsea.

Caretaker boss Frank Lampard, who is set to be replaced by a permanent head coach this summer with the search and process ongoing, has been critical of the Chelsea team since his appointment earlier this month.

The confidence, belief and physical conditions of the players isn’t at its peak and he wants the squad to remain focused until the very end of the season even if they are knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Lampard said: “I’m not questioning commitment of players. I got asked after the game on Saturday if the players looked hungry enough and I answered that it’s very easy to get to that point from the outside when there’s a lot of factors that come together to try and get a team playing at its peak. Confidence, belief, physical nature of the game, tactical nature of the game.

“It feels like everyone is jumping on this physical thing. It’s part of the game that’s important but there’s other parts that we can improve on. From my point of view it’s about trying to attack those things. I call them the baseline things because without those things you will struggle at top level football to get results without them. We are trying to broach those things together in quick time but the reality is some of them take time to get better. So that’s fine.”

He added: “Whatever way the result goes tomorrow (Tuesday) we will keep working till the end.”