Blues boss plans further culling to Stamford Bridge squad.After agreeing to loan Christian Atsu to Everton, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looks set to cull five more of his first-team squad as he prepares his squad for the 2014/15 season ahead.
The Blues boss has identified five players that are not in his plans for the new campaign, with loan moves possible for some, though sales preferable as the Portuguese coach looks to bring in some cash after another summer of heavy spending.
With the likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis all coming in, Mourinho has already bid farewell to big names such as David Luiz and Romelu Lukaku, bringing in nearly £80m from their sales, but more could be set for the chop as Chelsea may yet be in for some late spending towards the end of the transfer window.
Below are the five players chosen by Mourinho to be put on the transfer list, with the exception of one youngster going out on loan:
5) Kurt Zouma
Chelsea hope to loan out young defender Kurt Zouma on a season-long deal to a Premier League club. The 19-year-old is a terrific prospect at the back after impressing in Ligue 1 with his previous side Saint-Etienne, but faces something of a fight to become a regular for the Blues at the moment, with the likes of John Terry and Gary Cahill ahead of him in the pecking order at present. There has been speculation of some interest from Sunderland, while there may also be the option of him moving abroad, with AS Roma keen to sign him on loan as part of any deal that would see top Chelsea target Mehdi Benatia move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Read more Chelsea FC news.