Chelsea summer transfer window, Part I: Sell as necessary to raise the cash
Chelsea will need to sell a few players to make the necessary amount of money to fund Frank Lampard’s first transfer window. Here is one plan to bring the Blues up to £377 million they can spend this summer.
The greatest testament to the job Frank Lampard is doing as manager is an honest assessment of the team he has. Comparing Chelsea to the teams ahead of them in the table, most players in Lampard’s squad would not have a chance at any of those starting XI’s.
Chelsea have at least £150 million to spend this summer. In the post-Neymar broken transfer market, that’s very little. Things may be coming back down to earth with the decline of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and teams acknowledging that without those two at their herculean best to elevate those around them, no one is worth the money we’ve seen change hands over the last few years.
The Blues will and should be making a great deal of sales this summer. Generally speaking, teams should limit their summer activity to 3-4 players moving in and out. This summer, though, is a case where Chelsea can forego that, slightly.
Chelsea’s current account of £150 million is for past sales, primarily Eden Hazard’s. They will add to that this summer, and should take even conservative offers for their superfluous players. If they sold every player for whatever amount is listed for them on TransferMarkt, the Blues would be conducting good business and have enough for the necessary purchases.
The Blues already have one big head start on their summer sales: Atletico Madrid has already agreed to buy Alvaro Morata for £58 million. Following him from the loan army to the ex-Blues group should be Tiemoue Bakayoko for £27 million.
From the first team, Emerson Palmieri is supposedly going to request a transfer this summer, and he could net £25 million. His fellow left-back Marcos Alonso has been a worthwhile player but doesn’t fit Frank Lampard’s needs, so that’s another £21 million. Then Ross Barkley at £22 million and Jorginho at £55 million to Juventus, where Maurizio Sarri could very possibly force them to overpay just as Chelsea did. Unless, of course, Juventus fires Sarri, in which case no one will buy Jorginho. Finally, Michy Batshuayi leaves for £19 million.
That’s an additional £227 million from player sales in addition to the £150 million already agreed upon which gives us £377 million to spend in blissful compliance with Financial Fair Play.
In addition to selling those players, Chelsea will also have to deal with the losses due to the expiring contracts of Olivier Giroud, Willian, Pedro and Willy Caballero. Willian is the only one likely to stay on, leaving the Blues with several roles to replace in the squad.
But Chelsea started the season with an inflated squad of 33 given the youth players involved, so some simple trimming was necessary in the first place.
Next. Cesar Azpilicueta key to Frank Lampard's distinctive 3-4-3. dark