Jules Kounde is now at Barcelona. (imago Images)
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano (h/t football.london), Chelsea are looking to offload four players before they can make a decision on signing Jules Kounde and Saul Niguez.
Davide Zappacosta could seal a move to Fiorentina on loan with an option to buy next summer. The Italian right-back is clearly surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge given Reece James’ rise.
Tiemoue Bakayoko is also believed to be ‘one step away’ from re-joining AC Milan on loan. Malang Sarr, the 22-year-old centre-back, is wanted by Serie A side Bologna for a temporary spell.
And a decision on 22-year-old London-born striker, Ike Ugbo, is also expected to be taken soon. The quartet shouldn’t really be vital to Thomas Tuchel’s plans during this campaign.
All of them were on loan spells last season – Zappacosta was at Genoa, Bakayoko was playing for Napoli, Sarr was at Porto, and Ugbo played for Cercle Brugge.
Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta are more than able to man the right side of the defence. The midfield trio of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho is hard to displace in the pecking order.
Moreover, with the addition of Romelu Lukaku on top of Timo Werner’s presence, young Ugbo may have struggled for minutes. Sarr could have suffered a similar fate in defence.
The club already has a settled backline with names like Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Thiago Silva. With the recent rise of Trevoh Chalobah in Tuchel’s pecking order, Sarr is better off seeking game-time elsewhere before he can displace one of Chelsea’s first-choice defenders in the near future.
If the Blues then manage to sign talent such as Saul and Jules Kounde after offloading the aforementioned players, then it would be hard to find a Chelsea fan who is disappointed with the board’s decision.
Chelsea have been subject to aggressive links with Victor Osimhen over the recently concluded summer transfer window, and the Blues…
Chelsea recently loaned Jadon Sancho on a season long load deal from Manchester United. (with an obligation to buy)
After a disappointing 2023-24 season under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea wasted no time in parting ways with the Argentine manager. The…
Former Chelsea player Joe Cole has showered praises on the club and compared their attackers with Liverpool's iconic trio.
After stealing all three points at the death away at Bournemouth last week, Chelsea brace themselves for another tough away…
Chelsea face West Ham away from home in the Premier League Chelsea and West Ham go head-to-head on matchday five…
