Chelsea are no strangers to trying to offload unwanted players – and the January transfer window will be no different as Enzo Maresca looks to trim his massive squad.
The Blues are known for buying large numbers of talented young players before sending them out on loan. But since signing Maresca from Leicester this summer, they have shown signs of changing their ways, with the head coach wanting to work with a smaller squad.
Maresca has reduced the squad to target its core players, leaving many on the outside and in need of a move in the new year. He has consistently made headlines for taking a ruthless attitude when it comes to discipline, and will happily allow the departure of fringe players in his second transfer window as boss.
According to BBC Sport, there are at least five players available for transfer or loan in January. At the top of that list is Ben Chilwell, who Chelsea are desperate to sell after failing to do so in the summer transfer window.
Chilwell joined the club from Leicester for £50m in 2020 but has now found himself left out of the squad. He has made just one appearance this season, in the 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Barrow, and has two and a half years left on his £200,000-a-week contract – a fact that makes a mid-season departure extremely will make. difficult, even after Manchester United considered a transfer in the summer.
Maresca explained in the summer that Chilwell did not fit his chosen playing style, with Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga ahead of him at left-back.
The Blues will also struggle to sign Carney Chukwuemeka as they reportedly want £40million to sell the midfielder. Chukwuemeka joined from Aston Villa for £20m in 2022 but has made just 32 appearances for the club since then, including five this season, all in the Carabao Cup or Conference League.
“There are players who unfortunately haven't played much for us in all competitions, like Chilwell and Carney,” Maresca said recently. “They are probably the first [to say] that they want to leave because they train every day, because they want to play matches and if they don't play matches, they are probably thinking about leaving.”
Chelsea will find it easier to move Cesare Casadei, with the Italian midfielder being important for both Feyenoord and Monza. Casadei wants more first-team football and can only leave on loan.
Harvey Vale is entering the final six months of his contract and looks set to leave Chelsea in January. The 21-year-old striker is reportedly of interest to clubs in Europe and the Championship after turning down a move to Al-Ettifaq last summer. Vale has scored nine goals and nine assists in 15 games for Chelsea under-21s this season and should have no shortage of suitors.
Alex Matos – a 20-year-old central midfielder – is another player who could leave in January. He was loaned out to Huddersfield for the second half of last season and is not in Maresca's plans.
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