According to a recent report by Football.London, Premier League giants Chelsea have been tipped to offload twelve players from their squad next season as Frank Lampard’s team-rebuild at Stamford Bridge seems to be well and truly underway. The acquisitions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have both come as massively exciting news for Chelsea fans, and it’s effectively guaranteed that the buying isn’t going to stop there.
When Frank Lampard was announced as the new manager of Chelsea prior to the start of the season, various red flags were raised by a majority of the pundits as well as even the most loyal of fans. Many questioned the Stamford Bridge hero’s credibility about managing a club as big as Chelsea on the back of what can only be branded an above-average season with Championship outfit Derby County. The opening weekend defeat to Manchester United did next to nothing to make the situation any better for him as well.
It’s worth taking into consideration though that the Blues came into the season with a transfer ban, on top of losing their most influential player from the last decade, Eden Hazard. It was evident that this Chelsea side needed a rework, and that’s exactly what Lampard has been going about doing right now.
For all the signings they’ll probably end up making, it’s equally important to get the books balanced by getting any deadweight out the door. With Football.London reporting that up to 12 names could face the axe, let’s take a look at the three sales that Lampard should look to expedite this summer.
Three Sales That Lampard Should Look To Expedite This Summer
Danny Drinkwater
Still a part of the Chelsea books, the English midfielder was signed from Leicester City on the back of their title-winning season, where he and N’Golo Kante seemed to absolutely run the show for Claudio Ranieri’s men. Not only did he struggle to fit into life at Stamford Bridge, but his off-field antics acted as a massive deterrent as well. Despite having spent a couple of loan spells away from the London club, Drinkwater has shown no signs of improvement and would be of best use to Chelsea if cashed in on.
Emerson Palmieri
The Italian international was acquired as Chelsea looked to find a regular option to take up the left-back role. Although Marcos Alonso was brought in first, the Blues’ backroom team were quick to realise that the Spaniard was a wing-back and that defending wasn’t one of his strengths. This is what prompted them to go for the former Roma man, who has failed to nail down a place for himself in west London. Despite being a more balanced footballer than Alonso, his jack-of-all-trades nature has made Emerson a frustrating watch.
Michy Batshuayi
The Belgian international was initially brought as a long-term striking option, and despite some positive signs in his first few years at the club, things haven’t quite clicked into place for Batshuayi at Chelsea. He has spent loan stints at the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Valencia but was never able to replicate his best form in a Chelsea shirt. While it must be conceded that the Belgian has scored some important goals for the Blues, his lack of consistency and conviction in the final third does warrant an immediate sale.
