Chelsea's 29-man pre-season squad in the USA has already been added to and then cut down. It could be about to increase once more if Jules Kounde is a deal that's completed with time to allow him to join his new teammates in the States.
The proclaimed 'strong' group contains players purchased by five different managers over a 10-year period. Nearly one third of the squad has played less than five matches under Tuchel, if any at all, and eight players haven't started a season at the club since at least 2018.
As Tuchel prepares to rebuild a squad that has lost two senior centre-backs that helped to a Champions League win and also sets himself for the departure of two more in the final month of the summer window, plus the possibility that two of his three main midfielders from last season could leave as well, he must try to fit together the jigsaw, let alone get improving performances from his team.
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It's also at this point that the German can look to his attack and realise he is still the owner of £180million of inherited players that have failed to make a lasting impression at the club. Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic were all meant to be part of Frank Lampard's big second season at the club but two years on and they are all open to leaving.
It is at this time in pre-season that fans and coaching staff should be seeing patterns and ideas develop, but due to the restrictions imposed on Tuchel by his squad size, it is hard to see any tactical movements occurring. This is now compounded as Chelsea struggle to offload Ziyech, Werner and the rest.
Not only do the players want to find a new home in an attempt to prove their worth, Chelsea would like to be free of their sizable wages, recoup some of the extortionate money spent on them and then replace them with newer, better upgrades. They have been lucky enough to get some extra time with Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, Kounde will be a great addition to the squad, but it's hard to see too much benefit in pre-season matches until the squad is effectively trimmed.
It's not an easy operation, and as Tuchel gives preseason minutes to Michy Batshuayi, who hasn't played a first team minute in a win for the Blues since 2019, and none for his current boss, it's hard to see how he's meant to improve his playing squad by giving out pity appearances.
Everyone involved is aware that Batshuayi doesn't get Chelsea any closer to Liverpool or Manchester City, yet, until they can sell him, or more likely loan him for another season, there is no benefit to him staying in Cobham. At least over pre-season the Belgian can build fitness and attempt to impress potential suitors. Tuchel is now in a tough situation, though.
He would prefer to be giving Batshuayi's time to Armando Broja, but he hasn't played this pre-season amid links to a move to West Ham, that has come about due to the structural issues which have kept Batshuayi at Stamford Bridge for six years now.
Likewise Ross Barkley. He has been a Chelsea player for four years himself but only played 175 Premier League minutes. His issue is less the large transfer fee, with the former Everton player having only cost Antonio Conte £15m, but until his wages are cleared from the books, it reduces any chance of Billy Gilmour being worked on, or Conor Gallagher being afforded genuine warm-up time.
The decision to move Gilmour and Harvey Vale to the development team is one that wouldn't be required if Chelsea had a solution to their bloated trimmings of the squad. Vale and Gilmour would both benefit more from the chance to impress Tuchel than Barkley, yet that isn't an option at the current time.
Not only are there logistical problems at large, with Broja still possibly being a part of Chelsea's squad for next season, they won't have looked at him fully until returning to England, the transfer conundrum continues to cause confusion as the season approaches.
Ziyech and Werner both want to leave just as much as the club is happy to see them go, but if that doesn't materialise then they are stuck with Tuchel and he is left with them. Though that won't bother Tuchel, who is more of an on-field coach than a decision-making director, he could be entering a season with two attackers that only hinder his plans for progression.
Kepa Arrizabalaga can be added to this same list, but his position in goal is causing less effects for Tuchel's plans outfield, yet the principle still applies. There is little benefit to working with players that are both wanted out and want out, yet Tuchel looks set to have to deal with it for longer.
The reality is that whilst Chelsea struggle to get their unwanted and underperforming squad players out of the club, they are losing time to work on systems and formations that are key in moving them up the table, and the longer this goes on, the bigger the issue will continue to grow.
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