There are less than three weeks of the transfer window remaining. Chelsea have been active so far which has seen four new additions to their first team in Carny Chukwuemeka, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling, while just this week, Timo Werner and Malang Sarr have waved goodbye to Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League season has already started, but Thomas Tuchel's squad is still taking shape as they prepare for the second match of the year against Spurs. Even with the earlier start than usual, Chelsea have until the end of the month to form their 25-man squad, which will try and improve on their 74-point total recorded last term.
The Champions League draw still awaits too on August 25th, and the Blues will need to consider who will be involved in another testing campaign. As the team enter September and October, the importance of a strong squad will quickly become clear with a relentless European and domestic schedule ahead of the World Cup.
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It's little wonder the Blues are still looking to add the likes of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Will they fit easily into Tuchel's squads or lead to other players being left out entirely? football.london takes a look at Chelsea's current situation regarding homegrown player rules.
Premier League
Come September 1st, when the Premier League transfer window close, Chelsea will need to submit a 25-man squad for the season. The collection of players must have no more than 17 overseas players, and the remaining eight slots must be held for homegrown stars. A homegrown player is one who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the FA or Welsh FA for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months before the end of the season in which they turn 21.
In addition, Chelsea are able to name a list of under-21 players. This means not every player the Blues hope to call upon in 2022/23 has to be named within the 25-man squad. To qualify as an under-21 player for this season, players will have to have been born on or after January 1st 2001. Currently, that would leave Billy Gilmour, Armando Broja and Carney Chukwuemeka as eligible to feature for the club, without taking up a squad slot, as well as any development squad players who fit the criteria.
Overseas players (17): Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy, Marcos Alonso, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Emerson Palmieri, Baba Rahman, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic. Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Kenedy, Michy Batshuayi.
Homegrown players (13, 10 discounting Gilmour, Broja and Chukwuemeka): Marcus Bettinelli, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Ethan Ampadu, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ross Barkley, Billy Gilmour, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Chelsea currently have a large squad with 27 players named among their first team ranks. Adding another three would add greater pressure to those who make the 25-man cut-off. If Fofana, de Jong and Aubameyang are signed, it would mean three overseas players will not be named, with more possibly under pressure due to the quality in the club's homegrown ranks.
The futures of Kepa, Alonso, Emerson, Rahman, Kenedy and Batshuayi, in particular, remain unresolved, while Ampadu, Barkley, Gilmour and Hudson-Odoi have also been linked to other clubs. Getting those deals done to avoid players remaining at the club who cannot feature will be crucial.
Champions League
The rules for the Champions League differ from those in the Premier League, however. For Chelsea's European campaign, the definition of a homegrown or locally trained player is crucial to note. UEFA define them as those who have been trained by their club or another from the same national association (the Welsh FA would not be included as it is for the Premier League) for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Like in the Premier League, eight spots are reserved for players who can satisfy those criteria, but four are allocated for club-trained players. UEFA competitions also allow clubs to submit a B list for those born on or after January 1st 2001, and registered at the club for an uninterrupted period of two seasons.
Due to the success of Cobham, Chelsea did not feel the impact of requiring that number of club-trained players. The likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek can easily fulfil them, meaning someone like Armando Broja could be named on the B list. However, if Chukwuemeka is to be named in the Champions League squad, his short time with the Blues would mean he would have to be named in the squad proper.
Champions League non-homegrown players
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy, Marcos Alonso, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Emerson Palmieri, Baba Rahman, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic. Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Kenedy, Michy Batshuayi.
Champions League homegrown players
Club trained - Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah, Mason Mount, Reece James, Conor Gallagher, Ethan Ampadu, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
FA trained - Ben Chilwell, Ross Barkley, Marcus Bettinelli, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Raheem Sterling.
Potential B list players
Billy Gilmour and Armando Broja. The likes of Harvey Vale could also be utilised.
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