Chelsea are set to offload a handful of fringe players in the upcoming January transfer window, with manager Enzo Maresca looking to reduce his large squad.
Maresca’s arrival from Leicester City in the summer has seen a shift in the club’s strategy, with the Italian favouring a more streamlined squad.
One of the players affected is Ben Chilwell, with the club reportedly eager to let him go after failing to do so in the summer. The Englishman, who joined the club in a £50 million deal from Leicester in 2020, now finds himself sidelined.
Maresca revealed last summer that Chilwell didn’t fit into his preferred style of play, with Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga ahead of him in the left-back pecking order.
The Blues are also likely to find it difficult to offload Carney Chukwuemeka as they are reportedly demanding £40m for the midfielder.
Chukwuemeka moved to Chelsea from Aston Villa for £20 million in 2022 but has only made 32 appearances for the club since then, including five this season in the Carabao Cup or Conference League.
Chelsea will have an easier time moving on Cesare Casadei, with the Italian midfielder attracting interest from both Feyenoord and Monza. Casadei is seeking more first-team football and will only be permitted to leave on loan.
Also, Harvey Vale is entering the final six months of his contract and appears set to depart Stamford Bridge in January. The 21-year-old forward is drawing interest from clubs in Europe and the Championship after turning down a move to Al-Ettifaq last summer.
Lastly, 20 year-old central midfielder Alex Matos is another player who could be on his way out in January. After spending the latter half of the previous season on loan at Huddersfield Town, it appears he does not feature in Maresca’s plans for the future.