It’s an important summer for Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to improve upon a dismal Premier League season.
There’s likely to be a huge transition and plenty of turnover in the squad to ensure that numbers are reduced heading into pre-season and therefore manageable.
There will be several fringe players who will need to leave this summer. The club need a centre forward and but there is argument to suggest that there’s enough firepower already at Stamford Bridge.
But the club cannot simply afford to keep stockpiling players. It’s expensive, it can disrupt squad morale and as Graham Potter found, it can be near impossible to manage.
Who needs to leave the club this season?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek has been a fringe player for several years now and despite impressing in loan spells at Fulham and Crystal Palace.
But the midfielder, despite his elegance with the ball, has failed to start more than 20 games for Chelsea. When he does play, he offers very little and whilst goals aren’t the measure of a midfielder of his type, he’s scored just one since his ten goal season in 2018/19.
ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-transfer-news-graham-potter-chelsea-vs-brentford-n’golo-kante-injury-reece-james-england-right-back-cheek-stamford-bridgeSoccer Football – Champions League – Group E – Chelsea v AC Milan – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 5, 2022 Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek applauds fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
For his sake, a move out of Chelsea will be the best thing for him and free up some much needed space in the dressing room.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubameyang was a strange signing. 33-years-old, left Arsenal under a cloud last season and was allowed to leave Barcelona after just six months.
It was never going to work out and with his contract due to expire next summer, it’s likely he will stay.
However, with Romelu Lukaku returning from Inter Milan and Armando Broja returning from injury, Pochettino has a big decision to make when it comes to shaping his forward line.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see both Kepa and Edouard Mendy leave this summer, considering both stoppers failed to convince last season.
Interestingly, Kepa boasted one of the highest save percentages in the Premier League last season, the sixth highest according to FBRef, ahead of the likes of Alisson, Ederson and David De Gea.
Chelsea have flirted with selling Kepa in previous seasons, this summer could be the ideal chance for him to go and for Pochettino to find a new number one.
kepa-arrizabalaga-chelsea-transfer-news-edouard-mendy-thomas-tuchel-todd-boehly-graham-potter-cfc-news-kepa-first-choice-clean-sheets-stamford-bridge-champions-leagueSoccer Football – Premier League – Crystal Palace v Chelsea – Selhurst Park, London, Britain – October 1, 2022 Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
What about Conor Gallagher?
Gallagher is a player who has been linked with other clubs for most of the summer, but given Pochettino’s high pressing style of play, and history of developing young players at Spurs, Gallagher is the perfect player.
Keeping him, along with Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic makes perfect sense for the Argentinian, but the decision may be out his hands.
