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We are coming up on the final hours of the 2024 summer transfer window, but Chelsea have yet to conclude the bulk of their business, both incoming and outgoing. The Blues have a problem on their hands with a very large squad that still needs trimming.
Manager Enzo Maresca has made it clear that he'll only be working with about half of the currently 40+ players Chelsea have on their books. Speaking about the size of his squad, the former Leicester City boss was clear on his intentions for the season (via Standard):
"In this moment, probably the noise is more outside, because I am working with 21, 22 players since we are back from the USA. I am not working with 42, 43 players.
“I already said [this] many times, but I can see you like to say that we have 42, 43 players - but more than 15 players, they are training apart. They are not with the team.”
This leaves the club in a position where it absolutely has to offload several players. This will also help any of their PSR challenges considering their spending in the past few transfer windows.
All that being said, let us look at three players Chelsea could look to sell before the transfer deadline day:
3 players Chelsea could look to sell before transfer deadline
#3 Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 for about €56 million. Maresca's arrival changed a lot of things, as he made it clear that Sterling will have no space in his squad.
With the arrival of Pedro Neto and the presence of adequate cover for his position already in the squad, the Blues will look to offload the 29-year-old. He has reportedly been offered to Arsenal (via Independent), and the clubs are still in talks, but a deal might materialise.
#2 Trevoh Chalobah
The 25-year-old centre-back is one of the players reportedly banished from the first team by Maresca, and the club will be looking to offload their youth product. The player has managed 80 appearances for the main team but so far has been unable to cement his place in the team.
A move at this point will favour both parties with whatever fee Chelsea receive counting as pure profit. Chalobah will also get the opportunity to revive his career somewhere else. Stuttgart have inquired about the player, with a host of other clubs showing some interest (via SkySports on X).
#1 Ben Chilwell
Chilwell has been at Chelsea since the summer of 2020 when he joined from Leicester in a €50m deal. The 27-year-old left-back spent a large chunk of last season on the treatment table, managing only 21 appearances in all competitions.
The Blues are actively looking to move him on, as he has not even made an appearance on the bench this season. However, there seems to be a lack of interest, with clubs like Manchester United turning away (via Fabrizio Romano). Hopefully, the club and player can figure out a mutually beneficial arrangement before the transfer window closes.
