Chelsea does not seem to be finished with business in the transfer market. They look set to trim down their squad further by offloading a further five players.
Tuchel has named players that could depart be loaned out or permanently moved on before the end of the window – Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker.
All five are midfielders have spent time away from West London last season. With the way the squad takes shape, they are unlikely to get much playing time for the Blues this year as well.
Chelsea look to transfer out and lighten
Romelu Lukaku has made his big-money arrival at Stamford Bridge this summer. Alongside, Thomas Tuchel has also been trimming down his squad by dispensing of lesser favoured players.
There have been fifteen players who have bid farewell to the Blues. Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Marc Guehi have all left Stamford Bridge this summer for just under £80,000,000 in total.
Tiemoue Bakayoko was a key part of the Monaco side that made it to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2016-17 campaign. Signed for £36,000,000 in 2017, the midfielder has made just 29 League appearances in the four seasons since. He is set for a loan spell at AC Milan.
Ross Barkley spent the last season on loan at Villa Park and looked to have rediscovered his form. However, it was short-lived. It has left the midfielder even further out of favour at Stamford Bridge than before.
Loftus-Cheek has been loved by Blues’ fans. Aged 25, the midfielder will be eager for some regular football. Tuchel has allowed him to “decide his own future” although Loftus-Cheek stated that he plans to “hit the ground running” this season. However, with a host of names before him, his best bet is a move away.
Danny Drinkwater’s choice to pick Chelsea over Leicester in summer 2017 was a poor one. The odds of the Blues recovering even half of their £34,000,000 investment in the midfielder looks almost non-existent. Loan spells with Burnley, Aston Villa and Turkish side Kasimpasa have not helped.
Follow our Twitter page for regular football updates.
