Chelsea's summer transfer window looks set to be dominated by exits in the early stages as Mauricio Pochettino's squad takes shape. The need for outgoings is clear after a campaign that saw a bloated dressing room struggle with consistency, with a number of changes to the starting lineup every week.
Six deals are already set to be sorted, taking a decent chunk of the work out of the way, with Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech set to join N'Golo Kante in Saudi Arabia next season. Mateo Kovacic has agreed a move to join Manchester City, having entered the final year of his contract.
football.london understands that Kai Havertz is set for a medical with Arsenal in the coming days as a fee between the two London clubs was agreed, with personal terms no issue. Another on the way out could be Mason Mount as the Cobham Academy graduate also enters his final year under contract.
A deal to join Manchester United appears more and more likely, with reports claiming that a £60million agreement is "close" for this summer. There will be a clear need for a replacement if the 24-year-old is to leave, with Pochettino looking to rebuild the squad going forwards.
Sandro Tonali was linked as a possible option, but his impending move to Newcastle appears to be all but completed at this stage. With that said, here's a look at some of the other options that the Blues could make a move for in the summer transfer window to replace Mount.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Medical booked, Moises Caicedo bid, Mason Mount deal, Havertz move
Enzo Fernandez/Moises Caicedo
While Mount has spent the past few seasons playing as an attacking midfielder, his role under Pochettino would more likely be as a midfield number eight within a 4-3-3 system. In that case, Chelsea may already have a ready made replacement in Enzo Fernandez, who played the latter half of last season as a number six, but has been spoken about as a player that can play further forward.
While that in itself would help solve some issues, there would then have to be a replacement in the deeper midfield role, which is something that Moises Caicedo from Brighton could help facilitate.
Nicolo Barella
Inter Milan appear set to make a number of exits themselves to help comply with recent financial difficulties, making someone like Nicolo Barella available. Given interest in Trevoh Chalobah and Romelu Lukaku, a negotiation that involves them switch Stamford Bridge for the San Siro could help too.
Barella is a box-to-box midfielder and at 26 years old, would be entering his prime if he were to make the move to Chelsea this summer. In a midfield three, his hard work at both ends of the pitch would come in handy and replace arguably Mount's best trait, which is his off the ball ability.
Gabri Veiga
21-year-old Gabri Veiga had a breakout season for Celta Vigo in La Liga last season, scoring 11 and assisting four in 36 appearances that kept the side away from relegation trouble. With a release clause in his deal and at such a young age, it comes as no surprise that there's interest in the Spaniard.
The midfielder could suit Chelsea well in the advanced eight role, adding some goal scoring prowess to the side too after a campaign that was missing exactly that for the Blues.
