Chelsea could offload lots of big names this summer as Xabi Alonso looks to revive the BlueCo project at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea need to offload as many as 11 players before Xabi Alonso gets his feet under the table. The new Blues manager, who has signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge, will begin his role on July 1, giving him and the sporting leadership team ample time to bolster the squad.
But before Chelsea begin to think about signing any more players, they need a clearout. When Alonso agreed to become the permanent successor to Liam Rosenior, he outlined his ambition to ‘build the right culture and win trophies’.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football, and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club,” said the 44-year-old, who stepped down as the Real Madrid head coach at the start of the year.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
“There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club, and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Although Alonso acknowledged the ‘great talent’ and ‘huge potential’ in the squad, the Blues still need to be ruthless this summer. As soon as the transfer window opens on June 15, Chelsea have two weeks to offload those who are surplus to requirements, giving the former Liverpool midfielder a clean slate.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Not only will Alonso be able to build a solid foundation from a pool of reliable players, but the sporting leadership team will also have raised funds to reinvest in new talent. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at 11 players that Chelsea should axe in the coming weeks.
Filip Jorgensen
Chelsea raised eyebrows when they forked out £20.7million during the summer of 2024 to sign Jorgensen from Villarreal. The Blues were crying out for a new goalkeeper to replace Robert Sanchez between the sticks, and rather than bring in a big name, they signed a then-22-year-old after his first full season as a number one in the top-flight.
As good as he was with his feet, unsurprisingly, Jorgensen looked out of his depth – and irregular opportunities between the sticks didn’t help. To this day, unless it’s a cup tie, he’s usually only ever wheeled out when Sanchez makes a high-profile mistake.
For his own sake, Jorgensen should be offloaded, whether it’s on loan or permanent, and focus on getting minutes in the tank. Meanwhile, Chelsea need a senior number two who will offer experience and quality when called upon – not a youngster waiting around for game time.
Wesley Fofana
Fofana fell short of expectations following his return from injury this season. The 25-year-old defender, whom Chelsea signed from Leicester City for an initial £70m in August 2022, was thought to at least soften the blow when Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season.
Although Fofana didn’t offer nearly as much quality as the Cobham graduate, he and Trevoh Chalobah showed glimpses of promise as a partnership under Enzo Maresca. Whether it was due to injury or not, the Frenchman never kicked on, though; in fact, he curtailed as the season went on.
As did many others, in fairness. But for a player with his price tag, wage bill, and limited availability, Fofana only proved that he’s not the man to play alongside Colwill next season. The sloppy red card on the final day of the season was just the cherry on top.
Malo Gusto
Gusto was one of the first names on the teamsheet when Maresca was still in charge, often playing a key role for Chelsea in the so-called ‘big games’. The 23-year-old defender, whom the Blues signed from Lyon for £30.7m in January 2023, hasn’t covered himself in glory since the Italian stepped down, raising questions about his future.
TosinAdarabioyo
Without sounding dramatic, the beginning of the end of Chelsea’s season can be traced back to Tosin’s two huge mistakes in the defeat to Leeds United at the end of last year. Although the 28-year-old defender isn’t entirely to blame for the implosion that followed, he’s generally offered very little this term.
Unfortunately for Tosin, he’s been misprofiled by higher-ups at Stamford Bridge as the ‘experienced’ player in the squad. Experience does not equal quality; the centre-half wasn’t signed on a free from Fulham to be a cheerleader.
Equally, there’s a spectrum of experience. Although Tosin is a seasoned professional, he doesn’t offer the same so-called experience as someone like Enzo Fernandez, who, despite being three years younger, has played – and won – games at the very highest level.
Benoit Badiashile
Badiashile also faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old defender, whom the Blues signed from Monaco for £35m in January 2023, has struggled to make his mark at Stamford Bridge.
With Colwill back from injury and Jorrel Hato maturing into a far more reliable option, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for Badiashile. The Frenchman can hardly rebrand himself as a right-sided centre-half either, with Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong set to compete for Alonso’s trust.
Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho has been unfairly scrutinised during his time at Chelsea. The 21-year-old winger, whom the Blues signed from Manchester United for £40m in the summer, arrived with a reputation as a troublemaker, but his attitude has been exemplary.
That said, however, it does not excuse him from criticism for his performances on the pitch. Garnacho has a habit of being just where you want him in the final third, but his end product leaves a lot to be desired.
The Argentina international will, hopefully, one day grow out of his wastefulness, but time is of the essence at Stamford Bridge. If Alonso is to compete across all fronts, Chelsea need to sign a world-class, or at least close to world-class, left-winger in the summer.
Jamie Gittens, whom the Blues signed from Borussia Dortmund for about £50m, has missed much of the campaign due to injury. Even when he was fit, the 21-year-old winger was rarely given a chance to impress, so Garnacho will likely take the fall.
Liam Delap
Delap has had a rough start to his Chelsea career. The 23-year-old arrived as a striker who thrived in transition, yet the Blues – a team that wants to dominate possession – often found themselves trying to break down a low block.
That said, even when the ball fell to Delap in the final third, he was wasteful. The Englishman has previously proven he’s a good finisher, so perhaps he would simply benefit from more game time elsewhere.
Chelsea only paid Ipswich Town about £30m for Delap, so they wouldn’t have any problems recuperating, or maybe even making a profit, on that fee.
Marc Guiu
Like Jorgensen, Guiu should leave for his own sake. The 20-year-old striker, whom Chelsea signed from Barcelona for just £5m in July 2024, enjoyed a promising debut campaign, and, just as he looked set for a run in the starting lineup, he suffered an injury.
Keen to give Guiu more minutes, the Blues sent him on loan to Sunderland in the summer, but he was quickly recalled when Nicolas Jackson forced a move to Bayern Munich. The Spaniard has started just five games for Chelsea this term, playing less than 600 minutes.
Three Chelsea loanees axed
Axel Disasi, Tyrqiue George, and David Datro Fofana could also be added to the bomb squad upon the expiry of their respective loan spells. They haven’t exactly set the world alight this season, giving Alonso little to no reason to give them another chance in the first team.
Disasi, whom Chelsea signed from Monaco for £38.5m in August 2023, spent the second half of the campaign at West Ham. Despite his best efforts, performing much better in a low-block, the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League.
George also left the Blues on loan in the winter transfer window, joining Everton on loan. football.london understands that the Toffees have the option to buy the 20-year-old winger this summer.
He started just once for David Moyes’ side and only played about 200 minutes of football. Datro Fofana, whom Chelsea signed from Molde for about £8m in January 2023, is the third and final loanee that could be axed in the coming weeks.
Back in January 2023, the Ivorian debuted for Chelsea, coming off the bench in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup third round. He made a good impression, but only ever featured three more times for the Blues before spending every season that followed on loan.
Datro Fofana spent the second half of the campaign at Strasbourg, also owned by BlueCo, providing just one assist in nine games across all competitions…
Up to 70% off Chelsea kits and merch
Various Prices
Fanatics
Buy Now on Fanatics
Fanatics has slashed the price of Chelsea kits and merch with up to 70% off select items.
