Since his arrival at Chelsea last year owner Todd Boehly has spent a £600m on transfers in an attempt to buy rapid success. Unfortunately for the Blues, the outlay had the opposite effect last season.
After also expensively going through three managers during the 2022-23 campaign, the West London Club slumped to a 12th-place finish in the league. Following the ‘failure’ of Chelsea under Graham Potter last season, it is Mauricio Pochettino who is now the boss and is looking to reshape the squad.
In the attacking midfield department, two young talents have moved on for big money. Kai Havertz was first to go, joining London rivals Arsenal for £65m. During his time at Chelsea, he scored the winning goal in the Champions Final win against Manchester City in 2021. But overall, Havertz struggled as he was used in multiple positions and never really settled properly into one role.
After the German, it was 24-year-old Mason Mount who also moved on, joining Manchester United for £55m. It is clear his contract situation was a big factor in why he departed Stamford Bridge. With only a year left on his deal, Chelsea decided to cash in, and end Mount’s 18-year stay at the club.
More midfielders were shifted on from the club with Mateo Kovacic and N’golo Kante leaving. During the time when Thomas Tuchel was at the club and there was plenty of success, these two players were pivotal for Chelsea. They were not just quality players, but both captained the side on many occasions in the last few seasons.
The main captain Cesar Azpilicueta is also a part of the restructuring of the squad as he has ended his 11-year stint by signing a one-year contract with Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard is one of three players over the age of 30 who have jumped ship.
The other two, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy have joined the Saudi Pro League. It is important for Pochettino to trim the squad and make sure the older players leave so the youth can have a better chance.
The club has a previous history of selling to AC Milan and they have done it twice already this season. Both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic joined last season’s Champions League Semi-Finalists for a combined price of around £35m. The two of them have both had fitness issues in the past and they were clearly not in next season’s plans.
Altogether 12 players have left this summer transfer window, and seven of them have left for fees. This has resulted in Chelsea recouping some of the money they spent, especially in January. With a squad that became way too large, this is the beginning of the rebuild under Pochettino.
Even though a lot of big-name players have been moved on, it was imperative for the club to do so as it allows for the new manager to bring in his own player to fit his style of football. It would not be a big surprise to see more players arriving and leaving Chelsea before the new Premier League season starts in August.
