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The 2023 summer transfer window and pre-season would be crucial for Chelsea as they look to rebuild for the new season. After a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, the club is taking steps to ensure a more productive season.
Mauricio Pochettino has been hired as the Blues' new manager and is saddled with the responsibility of bringing back the winning mentality at the club. The first step the club has taken towards achieving this goal is trimming down its large squad.
Players like Ngolo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kalidou Koulibaly have been sold, while Hakim Ziyech is on the brink of exiting the club. The club has also recruited attackers Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villareal respectively.
The pre-season will give Pochettino the opportunity to access the players at his disposal and decide on those who will form the core of his team. This means we still might see some first-team members as well as fringe players leave the club on permanent and loan deals this summer.
The owners of the West London club recently bought a significant stake in French club RC Strasbourg, making the Ligue 1 side a sister club to the Blues. Hence, we might see some fringe Chelsea players being sent on loan to Strasbourg to gain more experience and get some minutes under their belt.
Let's look at three players who might be loaned to the Ligue 1 side this summer.
#3 Malang Sarr
The French defender is one of the fringe players who could be shipped on loan to RC Strasbourg ahead of next season. Since signing for the Blues in 2020 from OGC Nice, Sarr has failed to maintain a place in the Chelsea first team.
He spent the 2020-21 season on loan at FC Porto but was lucky to get some minutes with his parent club the following season after which the proposed moves away from Stamford Bridge all collapsed.
The 24-year-old centre-back made 21 appearances across competitions for Chelsea in the 2021-22 season. He was a part of the squad that won the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup under Thomas Tuchel.
However, following the arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana last summer, Sarr was sent on loan to AS Monaco. He is currently back with the team and will be hoping to impress Pochettino.
But the club is still stacked in the centre-back position, with players like Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, and Levi Colwill all fighting for that spot. Thus, the Frenchman might be sent to Strasbourg for first-team football.
#2 Ethan Ampadu
Ethan Ampadu is another player on the club's book who might be playing for RC Strasbourg next season. Like Sarr, the Welsh defender has failed to break into the first team since signing for the West London club in 2017.
He has featured just 12 times for the Blues since making his debut in 2017. Ampadu has had loan spells at RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia FC, and most recently Spezia Calcio.
He was a regular for Spezia in the 2022-23 season, registering a goal and an assist in 34 appearances for the Italian side. However, it was not enough to help the club escape relegation to Serie B.
The 22-year-old can play as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder. Nonetheless, it is difficult to envisage him making the club roster for the 2023-24 campaign. He just might be sent on loan to RC Stratsbourg as his fifth loan spell.
#1 David Datro Fofana
David Datro Fofana was one of Chelsea's last season's recruits. The Blues paid a decent €12 million to Norwegian club Molde FK to acquire the services of the Ivorian youngster in January 2023.
He was signed to bolster the club attacking options but suffered to get regular playtime. The 20-year-old managed just 112 minutes last term in four appearances for Chelsea.
With the addition of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to the squad, he only falls down the pecking order in the attacking department. A long-season loan to Chelsea's latest sister club will be a perfect deal for the Ivorian.
He will have an opportunity to work with Patrick Viera (Strasbourg's new manager), getting more play minutes and exposure in the process.
