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The 2016/17 Premier League Champions, Chelsea, finished fifth in the league this past season, meaning, they have failed to qualify for the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League. Antonio Conte and co. struggled for consistency throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
Their new summer signings Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater, and Davide Zappacosta failed to inspire the team. Morata, in particular, was miserable and it has cost Chelsea the season.
Also, Conte's squad lacked a quality bench and they paid for it. Apart from Eden Hazard, Willian, Thibaut Courtois, N'Golo Kante, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpiilicueta, all of their players had a below-par 2017/18 season.
Chelsea need a squad overhaul and Conte, if he stays, has to make some world-class signings. Some of the players don't deserve to be in the squad and should be sold this summer.
On that note, let's take a look at the four Chelsea players who should sell this summer.
#4 Gary Cahill
The Englishman has struggled a lot this season. The 32-year-old's season started with a red card against Burney on matchday one and it never got better. With him at the back, Chelsea's defence lacked versatility and pace.
He was guilty of being slow on quite a few occasions and teams took advantage of it. He has kept only nine clean sheets in 27 Premier League appearances this season. The Blues were vulnerable at the back and conceded some easy goals.
Chelsea lost 7 games this past season when Gary Cahill played. They need a quality centre-back to mount a title challenge next season and Cahill does not deserve a place in the Chelsea team at the moment. With his age, it will be really hard for him to get any better.
#3 David Luiz
The Brazilian made only 15 appearances for Chelsea this past season. The 31-year-old has kept only two clean sheets in nine Premier League starts and has lost almost 50% of the aerial battles.
David Luiz's performance against AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League was criticised a lot after a 3-0 thrashing. Conte was visibly upset and the pair involved in a heated exchange after the game.
Ever since the disaster at Roma, Luiz's relationship with Conte strained badly. Conte dropped him for the match against Manchester United in November and then he suffered a knee injury which ruled him out for 3 to 4 weeks.
Andreas Christensen produced some solid performances in Luiz's absence and Conte stuck with the Danish international. Luiz suffered another knee injury in March, which ruled him out for another 4-5 weeks. A Chelsea comeback is looking very unlikely for Luiz at the moment, especially if Conte stays.
#2 Pedro Rodriguez
After a mediocre debut season, Pedro was a star performer for Antonio Conte in the 2016/17 Premier League season, with 9 goals and 9 assists. However, it all went south for the Spanish international in the 2017/18 campaign.
With only 4 goals and 2 assists in the Premier League this past season, the 30-year-old looked slow and clumsy. His decision making was poor and his overall game lacked precision. He lost his place in the starting XI and made only three Premier League starts since March.
He has made only 17 starts in the 2017/18 Premier League season and looked inconsistent. Chelsea need to replace him with a world-class winger for the 2018/19 season, who can produce some consistent results. The Blues need some fresh legs on the flanks that can offer a lot of energy, pacy, and quality.
#1 Cesc Fabregas
The Spanish international was Conte's star performer during their title-winning 2016/17 campaign. He played a stellar role in the midfield and was exceptional throughout the season.
However, 2017/18 season was a lot different. The 31-year-old contributed just 2 goals and 4 assists from 32 Premier League appearances this past season. He had an inconsistent campaign for the Blues and also missed out on Spain’s 2018 World Cup squad.
Though the Spaniard can come back next season, he is not getting any younger and Chelsea should look to sell him this summer. They need to buy a young and powerful midfielder who can help them win the title next season.
