Keep or sell? The 11 Chelsea outcasts whose futures need clarifying before the transfer window closes
The Blues are faced with significant decisions regarding numerous first-team stars due to another summer of massive spending.
Chelsea are facing a familiar problem as the transfer window draws to a close; an unexpectedly frenzied summer has left head coach Enzo Maresca with an oversized squad with the season already under way, and further additions are on their way in the form of £46 million (€60m) Joao Felix and, potentially, Victor Osimhen.
The Blues have faced criticism for having over 40 players on their roster. While many of these players are not in consideration for the first team, there is a pressing need to offload any surplus players. This urgency is due to the transfer market’s closure on August 30.
Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku are finally on course to complete protracted transfers to Atletico Madrid and Napoli, respectively, but there are still almost a dozen players on the fringes of the Maresca's team and squad whose futures are unresolved.
Below, GOAL assesses what should be done in each of their cases: keep, loan or sell?