Chelsea are reportedly set to offload up to five players this summer, but that list doesn’t include N’Golo Kante or Jorginho despite speculation over their respective futures.
It’s arguably been a relatively successful first season at the helm for Frank Lampard thus far, as the Blues remain in pole position to secure Champions League football next year and are still in contention for the FA Cup.
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Having not been able to make signings last summer due to their transfer ban and after a quiet January, Lampard has largely worked with what he inherited, while giving a number of the club’s youth products a chance to shine at senior level.
It remains to be seen if the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic sets them back this summer in terms of their ability to spend, but the Chelsea boss will no doubt be hoping to bring in reinforcements where possible.
According to ESPN, that process could start with exits as it’s suggested that up to five players could be offloaded with Tiemoue Bakayoko, Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri, Michy Batshuayi and Davide Zappacosta all specifically mentioned as possible players heading for an exit.
Given that they’re all of a decent age and have shown enough quality to be appealing options to other clubs, that could help raise funds and create space in the squad, while it’s also worth mentioning that Olivier Giroud, Pedro and Willian could become free agents this summer when their contracts expire, which would also contribute to the savings.
However, it’s added by ESPN that neither Kante nor Jorginho are likely to be going anywhere despite recent speculation linking them with Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, as they seemingly remain important parts in Lampard’s plans moving forward.
Jadon Sancho, Ben Chilwell and Moussa Dembele are among the players linked with a move to Stamford Bridge ahead of next season, as per the report, but it remains to be seen if the pieces fall into place for Lampard to significantly improve the squad this summer while qualifying for the Champions League could yet have a major influence on their level of spending.