Graham Potter has chosen to take N'Golo Kante with him in a 25-man squad to Abu Dhabi despite the 31-year-old remaining sidelined due to injury. The Frenchman hasn't played a minute since hobbling off with a hamstring issue against Tottenham in the second match of the season.
He is also approaching the final six months of his contract and can negotiate a move away from the Premier League for free on January 1. Knowing this, and that no progress has been made with extending Kante's current deal, Potter still took the World Cup winner with him for warm weather training.
His predicament is one that is confounded by Jorginho's identical contract situation, and Potter faces the prospect of losing his two most senior players in the centre of the park for free at the same time. Although Chelsea have been aware of this issue for a while, it's daunting for Potter as he looks to rebuild the squad and leave his own stamp on it.
READ MORE: Why Raheem Sterling didn't play for England vs Senegal in World Cup round of 16 clash
The first chance for that to happen will be in January, when Chelsea are expected to be busy in the market both for immediate reinforcements and in preparation of an equally hectic summer. The biggest targets in that regard are unlikely to be available though, and moves for first choice duo Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice won't be on the move until deeper into 2023, if at all.
Outside of them, Edson Alvarez remains a target, football.london understands. Another player they could revisit having been unsuccessful with signing earlier this year is Southampton's Belgian starlet Romeo Lavia. The midfielder only left Manchester City in the summer, joining Saints for £12million, but made a big impression in his first months on the south coast.
He was taken to St Mary's along with academy and recruitment expert Joe Shields, who has now joined Chelsea and may be able to help his new club to secure a move for a player with a big future. According to RMC journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Chelsea's previous attempts to get Lavia shouldn't be ignored.
The 18-year-old star may well be the successor to Kante in the heart of midfield for the Blues, and his reported £50million price tag is unlikely to put off Todd Boehly after the co-owner invested heavily into young talent over the summer, and continues to do so moving forward.
READ NEXT:
Full Chelsea 25-man squad for Abu Dhabi training camp confirmed amid N'Golo Kante decision
Chelsea face extra £41m bill to complete 'best midfielder in the world' transfer
Raheem Sterling robbery details as Chelsea star 'has £300,000 jewellery stolen' during World Cup
Chelsea can sign the 'next Frank Lampard' as Todd Boehly faces Liverpool and Man City battle
