Out: Michael Essien
The competitive Ghanian midfielder was once a key part of Chelsea’s success in the mid-noughties, but has not shown himself to be capable of staying fit for any meaningful period of time. The 30-year-old has had a decent spell on loan with Real Madrid this season, but the club need to move on from a player who will not be able to compete physically in the heart of the Blues’ midfield as he used to. The player himself says he hopes to return to Stamford Bridge and compete for a place, but it seems unlikely.
Mourinho was the man who originally brought Essien to the club from Lyon in 2005, and he will have a decision to make this summer after working with him for a year at Real.