By the time Chelsea face Liverpool in August for the opening game of the 2023/24 season, seven of their starting XI that featured against Everton under Thomas Tuchel 12 months earlier will have left the club.
Of the 20-man squad, nine have already departed with another two expected to shortly. It wouldn't be out of realms of possibilities that the number rises to 12 having been sold or released.
It demonstrates perhaps more than anything else just how much change has already taken place this summer. The fact that both managers that day, Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard, would manage Chelsea in the same season but not be there to sit in the dugout against Jurgen Klopp in four weeks, is hardly believable.O
It will be Mauricio Pochettino and his fresh squad taking to the ground that day, though, and with it will come an air of freshness unbeknown to many. The average age has plummetted, five of the starting XI aged over 30 have left, despite making 12 signings since January, only Christopher Nkunku (25) is over 23.
The difference is incomprehensible but entirely necessary, and the work is not done yet. Christian Pulisic, who started the season opener last year on the bench, is set to join those departing. He is now an announcement away from becoming an AC Milan player, joining Ruben Loftus-Cheek at San Siro.
Three players are now Saudi Pro League stars with the potential for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech, at least, to join them in the Middle East. There remains a small chance that Callum Hudson-Odoi may also be headed in that direction, Romelu Lukaku too.
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That would take the total exits from the club up to 13 senior first team players leaving permanently. Having failed to rid the group effectively before pre-season last year, no such error is being repeated.
Heading into the tour of America, which starts next week, Chelsea have shedded years, experience but also wages and disfunction from their core of players. There is, then, no surprise that senior players without much chance of being involved seriously under Pochettino have been given extra time to find transfers away.
Instead of bringing back those that are out of the plans, Pochettino and Chelsea have allowed Ziyech, Aubameyang and Lukaku until July 17 to organise a move away. If that is impossible then a return to Cobham will be on the cards but it is not an outcome that benefits many involved.
Each player has been close to a move away and sees their future elsewhere. With Pulisic now the last of the easily sellable players given his age, price and quality, the next task is a clear one but also a tough one with arranging deals for the trio of failed attackers set to be of massive importance in order to finish off Pochettino's squad building dreams.
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