Five players might depart as Mauricio Pochettino gets ready to make a £115 million offload.
The start of Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at Chelsea has been uneventful. As we approach the halfway point, some will be concerned about the fact that, despite some extremely high points (a 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham and a 4-4 draw against Manchester City, to name a couple), they’ve also had some extremely low points (their most recent match against Newcastle United). A miraculous comeback was never going to be possible for this project, which the Argentinian has taken over. Supporters are already unjustly on the players’ and staff’s backs after one poor performance, especially after the thrilling 12th-place finish from the previous season.
Some are advocating for further funding for a team that has already received £1 billion in funding in January. It’s unclear at this point if Pochettino needs it, but in order to bring players in, he will need to make room and pay for them. Having said that, the following list of five players could depart Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window…
Chalobah Trevoh
Trevoh Chalobah is yet to play this season after sustaining an injury late in the preseason. Trevoh Chalobah may yet struggle to return to the Chelsea starting lineup despite the Blues’ startlingly bad defensive plays.
Rumors about him joining teams like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have subsided recently while he continues to demonstrate his fitness, despite the fact that they have been circulating for a few months despite his injury. It’s quite feasible that he remains and tries to push his way back in following the holidays, but it’s also possible that he leaves in January if the appropriate deal materializes—the Blues are apparently demanding £25 million.
Malang Sarr
Malang Sarr, who has played in just eight Premier League games for Chelsea in his four years there, is one of the club’s worst-ever acquisitions. He was so far down the roster that Mauricio Pochettino forgot he was even there.
Although he appeared to be a promising defensive acquisition from Nice in 2020, the star’s time at Stamford Bridge has never truly worked out. He played on loan at AS Monaco in Ligue 1 during the previous season, but he returned to Chelsea this summer after the team was unable to secure a suitable transfer for him.
Maatsen Ian
When it comes to his future with the Blues, the Dutch star hasn’t left much to speculation. He actually came close to leaving in the summer to return to Burnley, where he worked under Vincent Kompany for the entire previous season, but he turned down Chelsea’s offer of £30 million to attempt and compete for a spot in Pochettino’s starting lineup.
After a spectacular preseason in the United States, it appeared that he had gone a long way toward locking down that spot. However, in seven cameo appearances since then, he has only amassed 106 Premier League minutes, five of which have lasted 13 minutes or less.
The young player shared his opinions about his future with the team in an interview with Dutch publication AD, saying: “I think it’s possible to play more at Chelsea.” It’s hard to accept that [you won’t play] because, as a young guy, you always want more.
“The manager’s remarks give me confidence, and I’m prepared when the chance arises. I have to keep my options open in the interim. Later on, I could have to make a tough choice, but Chelsea will also inform me.”
The player may yet sign a new contract and be sent out on loan in January, according to more recent rumors. However, it’s unlikely that he’ll want to become just another cog in the massive Chelsea loan machine that rival and Blues supporters have grown accustomed to over the years.
Broja Armando
Armando Broja has quietly become a coveted commodity on the transfer market after making his comeback from a severe ACL injury sustained in the previous season, when he scored in just 19 minutes against Fulham. Both West Ham and the Cottagers are interested in the 22-year-old, and they have been rather transparent about their interest in the player.
The Albanian international may leave Stamford Bridge despite Pochettino’s praise for him throughout the season; the Blues are apparently offering a £30 million price tag for him. Given that Nicolas Jackson is still in front of him and that many want Pochettino to have access to more seasoned offensive alternatives, it’s feasible that Broja will move on without any fault of his own.
Madueke Noni
once paying £30 million to join the Blues in January of this year, there’s a chance that, once Cole Palmer joins the team, he will go on loan after a year. Despite some strong recent Young Lions performances, the former PSV Eindhoven star has practically been pushed to the sidelines by his countryman.
His only real run-outs have been in the Carabao Cup, where he has not been given much playing time despite scoring the equalizer against AFC Wimbledon in the second round via penalty kick. He has played just three minutes in Chelsea’s last three league games.
