BURNING BRIDGES
Nine stars Chelsea could be forced to sell as club fears they must raise £100m before ‘unofficial transfer deadline day’
The Blues could look to sell one of their most popular players this summer
CHELSEA'S rivals reckon the Blues may have to flog a host of players by June 30 in order to fall in line with FFP rules, according to reports.
The Blues have spent north of £1bn on transfers since Todd Boehly's takeover in 2022.
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Results haven't followed on the pitch, with Mauricio Pochettino's side languishing in the bottom half of the table and being labelled "blue billion pound bottle jobs" by Gary Neville after Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat.
The Prem's profit and sustainability rules have begun to take effect this season, with Everton having been deducted six points, reduced from an initial 10 yesterday.
In order to avoid falling foul like the Toffees did, Chelsea may be forced to sell a number of players, including key first teamers.
According to the Telegraph, the Blues' Premier League rivals reckon that the West Londoners may have to desperately sell stars before the June 30 deadline in order to raise £100million.
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This date falls mid-way through Euro 2024 and the Copa America, which could lead to a chaotic early summer window at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea insiders are claimed to feel relaxed about the situation, stressing that big sales will only be required in order to bring in more talent.
But the Blues' rivals feel that their resolve will surely be tested.
The West Londoners' woes will quickly be eased by the £28m owed to them by Newcastle for Lewis Hall, with the Toon having an obligation to buy in the youngster's loan deal.
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Forgotten man Romelu Lukaku agreed to a £37m release clause when he penned a new deal ahead of joining Roma on loan last summer.
With the Belgian, 30, having notched 16 goals so far this season, the Blues will hope to receive north of £30m for the striker they paid £99.5m to bring back to the club in 2021.
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Ian Maatsen was allowed to join Borussia Dortmund on loan in January, having started just once in the Prem during the first half of the season.
Chelsea will hope to receive the 21-year-old's £35m release clause in full this summer, should he leave on a permanent deal.
With regards to homegrown players when it comes to FFP calculations, there is no reduction in the value of sales because of the price of their initial contracts.
This could see captain and talisman Reece James be allowed to leave for a bumper fee this summer, particularly given his injury woes.
Should he become available Manchester City would likely show an interest, as they hunt a long-term Kyle Walker replacement.
In a similar boat to James could be stand-in skipper Conor Gallagher.
A Cobham product like James, Gallagher has attracted interest from Tottenham during the last two transfer windows.
The midfielder is happy at Stamford Bridge but is not close to penning a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in under 18 months.
Trevoh Chalobah, who has returned to fitness in recent weeks, could represent another homegrown sale, and has been the subject of interest from Nottingham Forest and Bayern Munich.
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Armando Broja played 19 times for the Blues this season prior to joining Fulham on loan in January.
Should he play well for the Cottagers, Broja could command another sizeable fee at the end of the season.
Marc Cucurella has been arguably Boehly's biggest flop, having arrived from Brighton in a bumper £62m deal in the summer of 2022.
He has never found his form at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues may try to cut their losses this summer.
Finally, Chelsea will try to find a permanent taker for goalkeeper flop Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Spaniard, 29, surprisingly joined Real Madrid on loan last summer.
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He has struggled at the Bernabeu, however, and with Thibaut Courtois to return from an ACL injury, Kepa is unlikely to move to Madrid permanently.
The 13-cap goalkeeper, who cost the Blues a staggering £72m in 2018, will still have a year remaining on his contract at the end of the season.
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