Chelsea have put nine members of Graham Potter’s first-team squad up for sale ahead of the summer transfer window, with the club hoping to recoup some cash following a £600million splurge.
The Blues spent £320m in January, following a £280m outlay last summer. Though the club have smartly given long-term deals to players to spread out the costs, they are wary of complying with new UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.
Potter is similarly keen to trim his squad, aware that he will have too many players to keep happy at Stamford Bridge.
Christian Pulisic, a £56m signing from Dortmund in 2018, is set to leave as he’ll have just 12 months remaining on his contract this summer. Manchester United and Newcastle showed interest in signing him on loan in January.
Hakim Ziyech saw a dream move to Paris Saint-Germain collapse because of a paperwork issue and he wants to make a permanent exit at the end of the campaign.
Kalidou Kouliably, a £33m signing from Napoli just seven months ago, is deemed surplus to requirements by Potter following the arrival of Benoit Badiashile and the Blues will listen to offers.
Romelu Lukaku is expected to depart on far reduced terms following his £97m move to the club in 2021, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could complete a loan move to Major League Soccer.
According to ESPN, the Blues will also listen to offers for Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, while N’Golo Kante is yet to agree a new deal and is out of contract at the end of the season.
The most controversial departure could be Mason Mount. The England international emerged from Chelsea’s academy and has been a bright spark in an otherwise forgettable campaign so far.
He stays! Chelsea reach agreement with veteran Thiago Silva over new contract
The veteran Brazilian has given the green light to a one-year deal, Fabrizio Romano has revealed, which would keep him at the club until June 2024. It is thought that the final adjustments to the contract are being made before being signed, with the official announcement from the club imminent.
Another year in west London will take Silva into the fourth of his Chelsea career, and by the end of the 2023-2024 campaign the Brazilian will be nearing his 40th birthday. Ever since his signing in 2020, though, the centre-back has shown himself to be evergreen, and has arguably been the Blues’ most consistent performer throughout the tenures of both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Not only does Silva’s new contract reflect his importance to the immediate team – being one of Potter’s first names on the team sheet each week – but his ability to guide the next crop of young centre-backs is also paramount. 21-year-old January signing Benoit Badiashile has already raved about the experience working alongside Silva, while academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah has also referred to the Brazilian’s influence in the past.
With the announcement of the Brazilian’s new deal only a matter of time, he will be back in action for the Blues when they travel to West Ham in Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off.
SOURCE: goal.com
