Pochettino to banish THREE players at Chelsea

Stuart Telford

• 16 Jul 2023 10:00 BST
• 3 min read

New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has been tipped to banish wantaway trio Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech on their return to pre-season training.

Pochettino is wasting little time in stamping his authority at Stamford Bridge, with the thinning out of a burgeoning squad one of his first priorities on taking the job.

Of course, Todd Boehly also had a vested interest in summer sales with the spectre of FFP hanging over him, but the mass exodus that has ensued will have come as a relief to Pochettino.

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Kai Havertz has fetched the biggest fee with his £65 million move to Arsenal, while Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and N'Golo Kante are among the biggest names to have also left the club.

But more departures were expected by now, with the Blues trying to buy time for Aubameyang, Lukaku and Ziyech to leave.

Return dates pushed back

"Chelsea moved back the return dates of Aubameyang, Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech while they attempt to negotiate the sales of all three players," report The Telegraph.

READ: Lukaku mess! Big Rom SHOCKS Inter Milan with transfer latest

And it now looks likely that Pochettino will take a leaf out of Erik ten Hag's book should the three return with no deal in place.

Last season, Ten Hag sent axed five players, including Phil Jones and Axel Tanzuebe, from first-team training with United's base only able to accommodate 24 players.

Cobham might not have the same restrictions, but the impact on overall team morale would be negative if the wantaway trio were in amongst the other players who are committed to Chelsea.

Lukaku was expected to return to Inter Milan this summer but they have pulled out after his agent agreed a deal with Juventus. He and Ziyech had both previously rejected the prospect of following Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly to Saudi Arabia.