Following the arrival of 14 players across two transfer windows, departures are bound to occur soon at Chelsea. The arrival of co-owner Todd Boehly in May 2021 has resulted in a major squad overhaul in west London where £434million has been spent on 14 new players and with the Blues' midfield still in need of bolstering, over half a billion could be spent in just over a year.
January deals being agreed for Enzo Fernandez or Moises Caicedo could see that total surpassed in the coming days and if so it presents more decisions that need to be made regarding outgoings for Graham Potter. With so many players arriving in recent months, guaranteed first-team minutes is proving hard to come by for many which could result in them considering their future.
Contract extensions have been placed on the back burner for the time being and that is sure to affect the thoughts of a number of first-team stars. Some summer transfer decisions are proving to be recruitment mistakes, while players who have been at the club for a significant amount of time could be set for the exit door to welcome the new blood at Stamford Bridge.
READ MORE: Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool handed fresh Moises Caicedo transfer stance amid January interest
With that said, football.london has taken a look at the players who could be on notice in the coming months as Potter and Boehly finalise their Chelsea squad.
Edouard Mendy
Mendy is one of those players currently hoping to extend his current contract which expires in 2025. The Senegal international joined the club in 2020 following inconsistent performances from Kepa Arrizabalaga who joined in 2018 for £71.6million, a record fee for a goalkeeper.
In the same season as his arrival, Mendy played a key role in Chelsea's Champions League triumph in 2021. However, following the departure of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter has preferred Kepa as his first-team goalkeeper.
The Spaniard's performances, along with Mendy's recent injury and contract stance mean it is set to be a crucial next 12 months in Blue for the 30-year-old who could be facing an exit soon especially following the arrival of Gabriel Slonina.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Following exits for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the end of their respective contracts in the summer, agreeing a £33million deal for Kalidou Koulibaly with Napoli seemed a shrewd signing for Chelsea.
However, the 31-year-old has struggled since his arrival, mostly being played on the left of a back three. Since the resumption of the season from the World Cup, Potter has been keen to deploy a back four instead and January arrival Benoit Badiashile is now the man partnering Thiago Silva.
Trevoh Chalobah has put in consistent performances in the Blues defence and with Wesley Fofana to come back soon from his recent injury, Koulibaly needs to take advantage of every opportunity given to him in order to revive his Chelsea career.
Marc Cucurella
Another summer arrival that has currently not worked out is Marc Cucurella who joined the club in a £60million move from Brighton. The Spaniard spent one season on the south coast before Chelsea took advantage of interest from Man City to sign the left-footed defender.
With Potter replacing Thomas Tuchel in September, Cucurella looked likely to be the main beneficiary of his arrival given that Potter got the best out of the 24-year-old mostly on the left of a back three.
However, a number of disappointing performances in the role saw him dropped for Lewis Hall. Cucurella was back in the team for the goalless draw against Liverpool and arguably put in his best performance in a Chelsea shirt and he will need to continue at that level if he wishes to have his future at the club guaranteed.
N'golo Kante
Kante's 2022/23 campaign has been riddled with a hamstring injury that has seen him make just two Premier League appearances this season and it has arguably come at the worst time with his contract up in the summer.
Injuries have gradually chipped away at Kante as he has gotten older and his latest problem will likely keep him out until March after he underwent surgery to repair the damage in October.
Fellow midfielder Jorginho will also see his current deal expire in the summer and the Italian looks set for a departure, however positive talks have begun regarding a renewal for Kante. While it will likely only be a short-term deal, Kante faces a huge final few months of the season to justify an extension being awarded.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Just six months after leaving the Premier League, Aubameyang was back in England having signed for Chelsea under his former manager at Borussia Dortmund Thomas Tuchel. The former Arsenal forward made his debut in the Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb and the German coach, perhaps the reason he returned to the Premier League, was later sacked.
The 33-year-old scored a couple of important goals following the arrival of Potter, but he has not found the back of the net since the middle of October.
Aubameyang now appears heavily out of favour under Potter and although he was the first attacking point of call following an injury to Raheem Sterling against Man City, he was then himself substituted for Omari Hutchinson after 68 minutes.
Barcelona have been linked with a return swoop for Aubameyang and his days at Chelsea look numbered.
Christian Pulisic
After a superb World Cup campaign, Pulisic was heavily linked with an exit in January. Arsenal and Manchester United were two clubs said to be interested with the USA international frustrated at his lack of game time at Stamford Bridge.
Pulisic has again been linked with a move away from Chelsea in January with claims AC Milan have opened negotiations to sign him.
The 24-year-old is currently absent with a knee injury which will likely keep him out until March. Plenty of suitors are available for Pulisic and following the permanent arrivals of Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk, Pulisic could be set for a summer departure if Potter places the two new signings ahead of him in the pecking order.
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