Chelsea are set for a summer of transition that will include bringing in, and offloading, several key players.
Liam Rosenior has not only been forced to contend with multiple injuries but the 41-year-old has also had an unhappy dressing room to sort out.
The Chelsea head coach recently dropped Enzo Fernandez for two matches after the Argentine cast doubt on his future during an interview while away on international duty.
As a result of the midfielder's comments which saw him flirt with the prospect of joining Real Madrid, there is speculation he could move on.
Chelsea willing to sell Enzo Fernandez at the end of the season
Despite Fernandez still having six years left on his contract, according to CaughtOffside, Chelsea will not have keep hold of an unhappy player.
However, just because the South American is unsettled, the Blues remain determined to receive a fee that would allow them to recoup as much of the £106.8 million they paid Benfica three years ago.
Of course, this requirement limits the number of clubs able to sign Fernandez, and with the Saudi League a non-starter, only a handful of European clubs could afford him.
Madrid are one of them and although their interest is genuine, an approach for Chelsea's number eight will probably depend on Eduardo Camavinga leaving.
Should the French midfielder, who has endured a prolonged period of poor form, depart the Santiago Bernabeu, expect Madrid's interest in Fernandez to intensify.
Chelsea will already be scouting potential Fernandez replacements
Chelsea's sporting department — led by directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart — will already be on the lookout for potential replacements.
Finding a top class midfielder — one that's capable of filling the void left by a World Cup winner — is not easy. There will be some big opportunities coming up in the Premier League, though.
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is attracting interest from nearly all the country's top clubs, and should the Tricky Trees go down, he will certainly be allowed to go.
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton is another player expected to move on in pursuit of a huge career step... And then there's Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali.
The Italian has been a revelation since he joined the Magpies. He has grown to become one of the league's best box-to-box midfielders. Newcastle's failure to keep him beyond this summer will almost-certainly see all the best clubs vying for his signature.
Should the Blues enter the inevitable race for Newcastle's number eight, they will be expected to break the bank. There's no doubting he'd be a statement signing though, and one of the only few players to be an upgrade on Fernandez.
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