The fire sale could easily top £200m.
And there will be huge names heading for the Stamford Bridge exit door with Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Romelu Lukaku among the potential departures. Conor Gallagher is set to lead the exodus with his £36m transfer to Atletico Madrid back on after Chelsea agreed a £45m deal for Joao Felix to go in the opposite direction.
Portugal star Felix’s impending arrival means Chelsea have more than 30 names trying to get a Premier League squad which only has 25 places. But almost as importantly, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca must trim his bloated squad to ensure he has a harmonious dressing room for the forthcoming season.
There is nothing more destructive for any manager than to have big name players around the club knowing that they have no chance of playing because they have not even been registered.
It is the Felix deal which will sharpen the focus for Chelsea to move players on – and yet they will need to be clever negotiators. The problem is that other clubs will be able to see Chelsea coming from a mile off. They need to sell – and fast. That will mean other clubs will be determined to drive a hard bargain.
Napoli were the first example as they have made an offer to sign Lukaku on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy for £26m next summer. That will represent a huge loss on a player Chelsea signed for £97.5m three years ago – but has now become the forgotten man of Stamford Bridge.
Even Napoli’s former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, hardly known for his patience, has made it clear that he thinks the £26m offer is not enough and has stamped his feet in frustration. But the problem is that Napoli and the rest believe they can do deals on the cheap because Chelsea have to sell.
The noise remains around Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and if Chelsea could somehow offload players, get some cash in for Lukaku then signing the Nigerian superstar would certainly change the mood among the fans.
There is genuine interest in Osimhen but a deal for one of European football’s most coveted strikers cannot happen unless Chelsea sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart know they can move players on.
England left back Chilwell has been frozen out by Maresca and now he could leave with a loan move most likely at this late stage but Chelsea would listen to offers of around £25m. Sterling, 29, has made it clear that he is committed to Chelsea, has three years left on a mega contract and does not want to leave.
Unwanted keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, 29, was the most expensive keeper in the world when he signed for £72m in 2018 – but will now be allowed to leave for a mere fraction. Kepa has been training on his own, did not even make the list of players on the match programme and No2 keeper Djorde Petrovic is in a similar position.
Trevoh Chalobah is surplus to requirements and Armando Broja is also available for transfer after he went to Fulham on loan last January. Broja has been interesting Everton but the £30m price is certain to be a sticking point and he could be loaned out again.
Carney Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for around £20m but has struggled to live up to his promise as a youngster through the England ranks. Maresca even said publicly that the 20-year-old needs games to progress his career and Chelsea would be open to a permanent move but a loan seems more likely with Premier League rivals likely to be keen.
But, even more intriguing, is how on earth Chelsea will look after the transfer window shuts – and how will they line up? With ten days of the window left, that still looks far from certain.
