Summer 2023 is shaping up to be a summer of ins and outs for Chelsea Football Club. A bloated squad and Financial Fair Play (FFP) obligations are two reasons the club absolutely need to offload some of its disgruntled or underperforming talent this summer.
With a senior squad of 30 players, there are definitely multiple candidates to head elsewhere on transfer or loan, given the club are fighting to avoid their worst finish in decades. Of the lot, more make sense than others. Here are three players Chelsea must sell this summer.
1. Chelsea might well offload Hakim Ziyech
Why Chelsea should sell him: because what happened in January is awkward, and it’s time to turn a new page for the good of the club. Despite a few flashes of brilliance, Ziyech has struggled to find consistent form and fitness since arriving at Stamford Bridge. He has also been hampered by injuries and unable to establish himself as a regular starter. Most fans know this part. It’s old news.
The failed move to Paris Saint Germain in January really just sums up the first year of the EgBoehly reign in a nutshell. Ziyech’s time with Chelsea has been chaotic and weird. (Especially after Graham Potter randomly handed him a starting spot a few days after the transfer fell through.)
Offloading him for free this summer is best for both player a club—each of whom deserve better. The fit was simply never there and Chelsea are a club in transition. No, the Moroccan won’t bring back any money for the club, but letting players like Ziyech go is important for re-establishing a winning culture at the club.