Chelsea ‘put nine first-team players for sale’ as Maresca plans mass transfer clear-out

For the rest of the returning players, departures seem inevitable as Chelsea aim to reduce their squad size following years of heavy spending under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Reports indicate that several high-profile names are up for sale, including Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, Djordje Petrovic, Armando Broja, Joao Felix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who spent last season at Bournemouth, is nearing a £5 million transfer to Arsenal, removing him from Chelsea’s list of available players.

The club hopes to generate significant funds and free up space on the wage bill by securing permanent exits for these players.

Sterling, for instance, earns around £300,000 per week, while Chilwell and Felix are also among the top earners.

Young talents like Chukwuemeka and Veiga, despite struggling to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, could still command respectable transfer fees.

Beyond first-team departures, Chelsea are also looking to sell academy graduates for profit. Zak Sturge, who spent the latter half of last season at Millwall, is in talks for a permanent move. Leo Castledine, Alex Matos, and Alfie Gilchrist are also expected to leave.

Despite focusing on exits, Chelsea have continued to strengthen their squad.

Pre-arranged deals for Kendry Paez, Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo, and Estevao Willian have been finalized, while Liam Delap has joined from Ipswich Town in a £30 million transfer.