Chelsea could let up to six players leave in the remaining three weeks of January tRANSFER window, at least partly motivated by fundraising for a possible Marc Guehi prosecution.
Guehi links are displayed following injuries to Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, highlighting the need for further strengthening of the defence.
Guehi, sold by Chelsea to Crystal Palace for £18m in the summer of 2021, was valued at £70m last summer when the England centre-back was the subject of multiple offers from Newcastle United. Chelsea are believed to have a sell-on clause in any future deal for Guehi.
There was also Chelsea connected with a trevoh chalobah turning bendhalf a season after completely freezing the local defender and loaning him to Palace.
According to TelegraphThe Blues insist any recruitment in January does not equate to panic buying, but they want to be ready to move for the right opportunities.
Cleaning up a bloated squad has been a requirement for some time, as Chelsea simply have too many first-team players for Enzo Maresca to use regularly. It is well established that Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and even summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are available for transfer. The club would want around £60m for Chukwuemeka and Casadei alone, while Dewsbury-Hall cost Leicester City £30m just six months ago.
The two new and therefore more surprising names cited by Telegraph that Chelsea Axel Disasi and Christopher Nkunku would be willing to be released this month.
Disasi has often captained the side, albeit on rotation, in the Conference League and Carabao Cup this season. But the £38.5million Frenchman has barely featured in the Premier League and has been identified as someone who does not suit Maresca's style of play.
Nkunku was signed for £52m after a prolific spell at RB Leipzig, only for injuries to ruin his first season with Chelsea. He has featured far more under Maresca than the others mentioned here, but still mostly as a substitute when it comes to the bread and butter of the Premier League.