One of the major issues with Chelsea's squad in recent months has undoubtedly been the size of it. Frank Lampard identified the issue as one of his struggles while in charge of the club. While the numbers in the squad were unwieldy, with players left out of the Blues' Champions League squad, other issues emerged too.
He noted in his final press conference: "The squad has been too deep and that's the biggest challenge I've found day to day. Coming in and trying to work with big numbers and players that are maybe a little bit, for whatever reason, disillusioned, for right or wrong, that they're not playing or they might be leaving."
The challenge and opportunity this summer was laid out by Lampard: "We will have the capability as a club and for the new manager to get the squad in the place he wants it to be. That's going to be some work as well".
With Mauricio Pochettino appointed, a man with a penchant for a smaller group Chelsea's task is clear and underway. While he was offered a contract, N'Golo Kante's departure has been confirmed and he could be the first of many from the senior set-up.
Mateo Kovacic looks set to head to Manchester City, and Kai Havertz is close to a move to Arsenal, while Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly could all see their futures in Saudia Arabia with Kante. That will see six senior figures removed from Chelsea's squad number and leave the club with 25 players to name in their Premier League squad.
That number could still be reduced given it includes figures such as Romelu Lukaku, Malang Sarr, Baba Rahman and others. More departures will give Pochettino room to place new signings within his non-homegrown allocation of players such as Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo. The Blues were initially under more pressure in this department with Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Armando Broja and Benoit Badiashile, no longer counting as under-21 players.
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Pochettino will be able to name a squad of 25 players where no more than 17 of his selection who do not qualify as a home-grown player. The Premier League state that a home-grown player is 'a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)'.
Any players under 21 are eligible over the limit of 25 players. For 2022/23 players were classed as under-21 if they were born on or after January 1 2001, presumably for 2023/24 that will be from the same date in 2002.
Chelsea's current standing, if those five players are sold in addition to Kante, can be seen below...
Players eligible to take a homegrown slot (13)
Marcus Bettinelli, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ethan Ampadu, Romelu Lukaku, Tino Anjorin.
Players who would need to take one of 17 non-homegrown (12)
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cesar Azpilicueta, Benoit Badisahile, Thiago SIlva, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernandez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic, Mykhailo Mudryk, Malang Sarr, Baba Rahman.
A selection of players who will still be classed as under-21
Gabriel Slonina, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lewis Hall, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana, Ian Maatsen, Levi Colwill, Andrey Santos.
