Chelsea have new owners, and changes are expected at the club. According to reports out of The Sun, Todd Boehly is set to invest in his new club but not at the rate Abramovich had done over the years.
From a soccer standpoint, Chelsea have had an irregular season. The Blues are third in the Premier League standings with 67 points but have not yet secured their participation in the 2022-2023 Champions League.
In addition, the team was champion of the last UCL, and in the 2021-2022 edition was eliminated by Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. Chelsea's only chance left this season is to win the FA Cup, where it will play against Liverpool on May 14. After Boehly's arrival, several players are expected to leave the club.
11 players who could leave Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga
In 2018, the Spaniard joined Chelsea after a transfer that turned him into the most expensive goalkeeper in history. The Blues paid Athletic Club 80,000,000 euros to acquire him. But his level of performance never convinced the coaches.
The club sought a replacement two years later and bought in Edouard Mendy, who has retained the No 1 spot. Kepa has made only 124 appearances since joining the club four years ago. According to ESPN, Chelsea are keen to offload him whilst recouping as much of his £71.4m fees as possible.
Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and César Azpilicueta
Both Christensen and Rudiger will leave for free at the end of the season. Neither of them wanted to renew their contracts. The Danish player is set to sign a contract with Barcelona for five seasons until 2027. While the German will join Real Madrid for four seasons.
Azpilicueta intends to leave Chelsea and Barcelona are his chosen destination. According to As, the defender has already agreed on a deal with The Cules for the next two seasons with an option for a further year.
Jorginho, Saul Niguez, and Ross Barkley
Jorginho has commanded Chelsea's midfield since arriving from Napoli in 2018. However, the Italian is out of contract in 2023 leaving the Blues with a decision to make over the next 12 months. Tuchel wants the player to remain at the club, but if a contract is not arranged the player may eventually leave.
Saúl is on loan at Chelsea from Atlético Madrid. The Spaniard is due to stay until June 2022 and everything seems to indicate that he will then return to El Colchonero. At Chelsea, he only participated in 22 games.
Barkley never quite fit into the team. Last year he was loaned out to Aston Villa such was his lack of minutes, with Tuchel at the helm Barkley has been used more but only played 12 games in the entire season. It seems as if both parties may benefit from a parting of ways.
Romelu Lukaku, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Timo Werner
Chelsea have not had much luck when it comes to signing strikers. Lukaku came from being Inter's star player, but he arrived at Chelsea, and the opposite happened. The Belgian has had problems with supporters and Tuchel, who has often left him out of the starting XI. The player wants to leave the club, but Chelsea do not want to lose all the money they have spent on him.
Pulisic did not have many chances to show his great potential. Pulisic is rumored to be unhappy with his lack of playing time, and after three years and up and down form and injuries, the American’s time at Chelsea could be all but over. The American though insists he is relaxed about his future.
Hudson-Odoi has had his chances this season, playing 27 games. The 21-year-old player was a victim of the amount of attacking talent in the Chelsea squad, and it is believed that the best for him and the club is to look for a new destination.
Adaptation was the biggest problem for Werner. The German has been able to have an impact, but his level is still not absolutely good. Furthermore, before the sanctions, Chelsea were open to his departure.
