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Chelsea have one of the most bloated squads among the top sides in the Premier League. Panic buys and average signings over the years have put Chelsea in a difficult situation. A number of players have been excluded from Chelsea's squad for the Premier League by Thomas Tuchel.
Which Chelsea players are currently on the market?
All players with Chelsea contracts returned to Cobham in July for their pre-season training. Each of the players was given a chance to impress the manager, and Tuchel has since picked the ones that suit his style.
Chelsea executives now face a race against time to find suitors for the excluded players before the window closes in two weeks' time.
Club-record signing Romelu Lukaku cost a significant amount of money and Chelsea must sell fringe players this window in order to balance their books. The following list considers players that should be offloaded on a permanent basis during the ongoing summer transfer window:
#5 Emerson Palmieri
Emerson joined Chelsea from Roma in January 2018 to provide back-up for Marcos Alonso. The Brazil-born Italian left-back was sidelined with an injury in the first half of the season which restricted him to just one appearance in Serie A. Emerson made seven appearances in Chelsea colors in the second half of 2017-18.
The 2018-19 season was better for Emerson, as he managed 27 appearances in all competitions under Maurizio Sarri. The Italian international made an excellent start to life under Frank Lampard in 2019-20, but his fine form was halted by another injury. The acquisition of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City ahead of the 2020-21 season has further reduced Emerson's role in the side.
The full-back has had an impressive Euros campaign with Italy and has plenty of suitors in Serie A. At the age of 27, which is supposed to be a player's prime, Emerson simply does not deserve to remain on the bench. Should any club express interest in signing him, Chelsea should offload him for a suitable price.
#4 Michy Batshuayi
Michy Batshuayi joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2016-17. At the time, Batshuayi was a hot prospect. Fresh from scoring 23 goals in all competitions in 2015-16, he attracted interest from Crystal Palace, West Ham and Juventus. However, the Belgian striker decided to join Chelsea.
For most of the 2016-17 season, Batshuayi was second choice to Diego Costa. His biggest contribution was the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion that sealed the title for Chelsea. Batshuayi joined Dortmund on loan for the second half of 2017-18. He's had loan moves to Valencia and Crystal Palace since.
The 27-year-old striker failed to make a massive impact on any of his loans away. He did not impress Tuchel either, and clearly has no future at Stamford Bridge. Besiktas are reportedly interested in him, and Batshuayi could be on the move soon.
#3 Ross Barkley
Ross Barkley signed for Chelsea from Everton in January 2018. He was once touted as the best young English midfielder. It is safe to say that Barkley has not lived up to the hype. Injury problems have played their part too, but inconsistency was his biggest flaw.
Ross Barkley did not suit Antonio Conte's system and found playing time hard to come by. He showed signs of improvement the following season under Maurizio Sarri, making 48 appearances. The rapid rise of Mason Mount saw Barkley tumble down the pecking order, however, as he managed just 31 appearances under Lampard in the 2019-20 season.
Barkley joined Aston Villa on loan for the 2020-21 season. He had an impressive start to his time at Villa Park. However, his rich vein of form was cut short by a hamstring injury. Inconsistency followed on his return from injury, and Aston Villa are not interested in signing him on a permanent deal.
The 27-year-old midfielder is not rated by Thomas Tuchel either. His exclusion from the Premier League squad was a huge statement and Mateo Kovacic has taken up his kit number too. Chelsea will be desperate to offload Barkley permanently this summer.
#2 Tiemoue Bakayoko
Tiemoue Bakayoko joined Chelsea from Monaco in 2017 as a direct replacement for Nemanja Matic. The midfielder made 43 appearances in his debut season, but failed to impress Antonio Conte. He was infamously booed by traveling fans following his red card against Watford.
Maurizio Sarri made it clear that Bakayoko would not fit his style of play. This saw the Frenchman head to Milan on loan with an option to buy for 2018-19. Milan decided against exercising their option at the end of the season. He's had loan moves to Monaco and Napoli since, but neither side have made the deal permanent.
Chelsea will actively be looking for suitors for Bakayoko this window. Napoli and Lyon have expressed interest in the midfielder. The 26-year-old will be hoping a permanent move materializes this summer so he can have a fresh start.
#1 Danny Drinkwater
Danny Drinkwater's move to Chelsea from Leicester in 2017 was one of the worst deals in recent history. The 31-year-old midfielder has a Premier League title to his name, but managed just 12 Premier League appearances in his debut season in 2017-18.
The 2018-19 season saw the arrival of Maurizio Sarri, who publicly stated that Drinkwater would not be involved under him. The midfielder, however, decided not to leave the club. He made just one appearance all season, in the Community Shield.
Drinkwater had two loan spells in 2019-20, at Burnley and Aston Villa. He caused bust-ups in training on both his loans, and was sent back. In the 2020-21 season, he was sent off in a Premier League 2 game against Tottenham.
Soon after, the Englishman joined Turkish side Kasimpasa on loan in the second half of 2020-21, making 11 appearances. With his contract set to expire in 2022, Chelsea will definitely explore the possibility of selling Drinkwater should any club express interest.
