Assistant coach - former goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was assigned to manage a group of 13 Chelsea players who were left out of the squad, including expensive stars.
This group of players are being isolated from the first team and must train separately, including Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, David Datro Fofana, Angelo, Lucas Bergstrom, Deivid Washington, Tino Anjorin, Alex Matos, Harvey Vale and Armando Broja.
Of these, Broja is waiting to complete the loan procedure to Ipswich Town. The future of the rest is unclear. The Daily Mail likened that these players could completely form a five-a-side team. At that time, the squad of Sterling, Chilwell, Lukaku, Kepa and Chalobah would be worth the entire squad of a mid-level Premier League club. The first four were bought by Chelsea for $354 million, with Chalobah growing up at the Cobham training ground.
Sterling has not trained with the first team despite playing all six pre-season friendlies for the Stamford Bridge club. The 29-year-old striker has been given time to think after coach Enzo Maresca told him he could leave. The No. 7 shirt he wore has been given to new signing Pedro Neto, who joined Chelsea for $71 million.
Currently, the group of players who are being "liquidated" are having to train on their own schedule and use the youth team or women's team's pitch. Coach Maresca has spoken directly to each player and confirmed that some of them will be loaned out, not all of them will be sold.
Many Chelsea fans believe that the board is making a mistake by trying to sell players who have grown up in the club's academy. Among them are Conor Gallagher, who has moved to Atletico, and Chalobah, who is on sale for $32 million.
Since billionaire Todd Boehly took over in 2022, Chelsea have spent around $1.45 billion on 40 players in the transfer market. On average, the Blues have brought in eight players per transfer window, with each deal costing an average of $36.3 million. The club has also gone through four managers, including Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and now Maresca.
Chelsea are preparing for the first leg of the Europa Conference League play-off round against Servette (Switzerland) on the evening of August 22.
TB (according to VnExpress)