Sports07 August, 20262 min read
Chelsea Prepare Major Squad Overhaul As Xabi Alonso Targets 16 Departures Before Transfer Deadline
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Xabi Alonso targets 16 departures from Chelsea's 41-man senior squad. Chelsea reportedly has 11 players on the transfer list to slim the squad.
Alonso targets 16 exits
Chelsea are preparing for a major squad overhaul before the summer transfer window closes, with head coach Xabi Alonso expected to oversee at least 16 departures after inheriting a senior squad of 41 players. The Premier League club finished 10th last term and will not play European football this season, leaving Alonso focused on reducing the size of the squad before the transfer deadline. Premier League regulations allow clubs to register a maximum of 25 senior players, while under-21 players do not count toward that limit, giving Chelsea flexibility as they streamline the group for competition for places, training standards and dressing-room harmony.
The situation has been complicated by FIFA’s ban on the practice of separating unwanted players into so-called “bomb squads”, a strategy Chelsea used last season with players including Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. Chelsea have also made recruitment moves during the window, adding Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson and Maxence Lacroix, with a deal for Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria nearing completion.
Who’s available, who’s out
Chelsea have players training away from the first team as their futures are resolved, including defenders Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, forward David Datro Fofana, striker Marc Guiu and left-back Caleb Wiley. Trevoh Chalobah is close to joining Serie A side Como in a deal reportedly worth about £31 million including add-ons, while goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is expected to join Strasbourg on loan. In midfield, Argentina international Enzo Fernandez has been linked with a move away, although Chelsea are also prepared to retain him, while Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Jordan Henderson, Valentin Barco and Dario Essugo give Alonso numerous options.
At full-back, the BBC says club captain Reece James is joined on the right by Gusto and Palestra, and on the left Chelsea are close to completing the £16.3m signing of Chavarria. The BBC also frames the scale of the task by noting that even to get the squad down to a more manageable 25 senior players, Chelsea will need to offload 16 players by the start of September.
Pre-season tests and stakes
Chelsea’s squad trimming is playing out alongside pre-season results, with Xabi Alonso’s side recording one win and two defeats in their opening three pre-season fixtures. Punch Newspapers says the Blues began their tour by defeating Western Sydney Wanderers 6–4, before losing 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney and then suffering a narrow 1–0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong. After three matches, Chelsea have scored seven goals and conceded seven, with the attacking display described as creative and firepower but defensive vulnerabilities exposed after conceding four goals.
The BBC adds that on Wednesday Chelsea had 21 substitutes for their 1-0 defeat by Juventus in Hong Kong, with only five academy players. With 25 days remaining in the transfer window, the BBC says Alonso is keen to significantly reduce his squad because having players not involved cannot be good for squad harmony, while Chelsea face AC Milan in Indonesia on Saturday before taking on Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday.