According to the Athletic (subscription required), Chelsea saw permanent exits for two first-team players fall through just days before the main European transfer deadline of October 5.
The Athletic report that the Blues had deals in place regarding the sales of two first-team ‘squad players’, but both fell through days before the deadline.
As well as hindering the club’s chances of cutting some deadwood from the squad, it’s added that this also stopped the west London outfit from launching an official bid to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice.
It’s added that the funds from the two sales were needed to finance an offer for the star they released at the age of 14, with the club already having spent over £200m on new signings at this point.
Hakim Ziyech’s deal was the first to be agreed back in February, with Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and finally Edouard Mendy also joining Frank Lampard’s side in a massive spree.
The Athletic state that Chelsea are now preparing to move for 21-year-old Rice again in the January transfer window, but this swoop could be contingent on potential outgoings as well.
Whilst it hasn’t been revealed which two players were close to leaving, the Blues seriously need to trim down their squad soon – it’s just leaking money in likely mammoth wages at this point.
This is a product of the club’s decision to switch managers over the past couple of years before legend Lampard’s arrival, with plenty of players signed by Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri now cast aside.