Chelsea can strike it rich this summer by cashing in on these ten unneeded stars.
10. Gael Kakuta – £2.6m
The young Frenchman was once tipped to be the new king of Stamford Bridge when his controversial transfer earned him a four month ban for breaking contract with Lens. When he did play he showed glimpses of raw talent, but has sadly failed to build on that early promise. After spending 18 months with Vitesse, he’s now with Lazio until the end of the season. He still has enough potential for the club to round his £2.6 valuation up to £3m, all he needs is a place to grow.
9. Marko Marin – £4.4m
The poor German international has seen his star fall dramatically since leaving the Bundesliga for an adventure in west London. He’s so far made on 15 appearances for Chelsea, scoring once, but he was left behind in the summer and shipped out to Sevilla for the season where he has made a much better account for himself. Whether the Spaniards want to keep him (or even if they can afford to) remains to be seen, but he’ll have put himself in the shop window – giving him a much better chance at securing a move elsewhere this summer.
8. Oriol Romeu – £6.2m
It’s difficult for young players at Chelsea, most of them probably figure out that they are not going to be playing first team football at Stamford Bridge, no matter how much class they ooze or ability they possess. Romeu is just one of the latest examples following his move from Barcelona, as Jose Mourinho’s continued revamping of the midfield looks to have passed him by. Like Marin, he has also headed to La Liga in order to gain some significant playing time and put himself in the shop window, and he could quite easily command much more than the £6.2m valuation that is already on him.
7. Ryan Bertrand – £5.3m
Bertrand came along at the wrong time. With Ashley Cole in front of him he was never going to break through and dispossess the England international of his starting spot. However, he held enough promise to warrant keeping hold of despite so many overtures to lead him away. Currently in his sixth loan spell at Aston Villa this year, the time may be right for him to leave as Chelsea target another replacement for Cole. Paul Lambert has spoken of his desire to keep him and there is a good chance that he may finally move on.
6. Demba Ba – £9.7m
The Senegalese hit man seemed like a good signing at the time, having been in such prolific form for Newcastle. But some players just can’t replicate that kind of form on the big stage and Ba suffered. He is still only at the club as a backup, and came close to leaving at the tail end of the January transfer window. There is no doubt that he can resurrect his career elsewhere, he is still a good striker, some players just don’t fit into a particular style or system, and when you’re not playing regularly then form becomes an issue. If they can get some clubs into a bidding war for him then they will be laughing all the way to the bank.
5. Fernando Torres – £16.5m
Chelsea lost the chance to recoup the bulk of what they paid for the Spaniard after his first full season at Stamford Bridge, and now that he has reached 30, his valuation is only going to go one way from here. Still, he is a top quality international and like Ba, may still have a chance at re-discovering the form he displayed before joining. He has been tipped to head back to former club Atletico Madrid this summer, both on loan in exchange for Diego Costa and as a permanent transfer.
4. John Obi Mikel – £17.5m
The Nigerian has always been a solid and dependable performer for the club, despite never making over 30 league appearances in a season. His tough, uncompromising style has been a necessity over the years, and his commitment has never been an issue, but as the club look to progress onto the next stage, the 26-year-old is in danger of falling behind. With that said, there will be countless teams interested in landing his services should he be made available.
3. Thibaut Courtois – £22m
Courtois represents just how bad Chelsea are with young players. The Belgian international is the natural successor to Petr Cech and has already shown just how good he is by commanding the number one jersey for Atletico Madrid for as many years as he has been with the west Londoners. If nothing is going to convince Jose Mourinho to take a chance on him now then nothing will. Interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid has been strong and consistent and he now looks set to move on at the end of the season.
2. Romelu Lukaku – £25m
Another young Belgian international who must be wondering what he has to do to get a foothold in the starting XI following impressive recent performances away from the club. Lukaku has proved that he is a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League, having done so consistently for two seasons now, but still Chelsea are reluctant to give him his chance. A big club in need of some fresh firepower may just test Mourinho’s resolve with a sizeable bid this summer.
1. David Luiz – £30m
Like Juan Mata before him, the Brazilian’s exclusion from the squad during the early part of the season left many scratching their heads as he’d proven himself to be a very valuable asset last season thanks to his versatility. But a series of hints dropped by both the player and the club have suggested that this will be the end of the line for him in the Premier League as Barcelona continue to size him up as the next Carles Puyol replacement.