The five Chelsea players who could leave in January

Suraj Radia

• 17 Jan 2024 15:40 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea have spent more than one billion pounds on players since Todd Bohely’s arrival last summer but Mauricio Pochettino’s side still find themselves struggling in mid-table with an imbalanced squad.

The Blues’ poor form led to Pochettino calling on the club to make more signings in the January transfer window but the significant outlay over the past 18 months ago means that Chelsea may struggle to bring players in without making sales.

In particular, the financial fair play constraints surrounding the club could lead to academy graduates being first out the door considering they count as pure profit towards balancing the books.

With Chelsea still hoping to bring players in this month, FootballTransfers takes a look at five players who could leave Stamford Bridge to make way for new arrivals.

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher faces an uncertain future at Chelsea despite becoming an integral part of Pochettino’s side, with the 23-year-old entering the final 18 months of his contract and no extension being offered as yet.

The England international was offered to clubs during the summer but no one met Chelsea’s asking price of £40 million despite strong interest from the likes of Tottenham, Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Chelsea aren’t against keeping Gallagher but they realise the implications that his transfer fee could have on their financial status and any offer close to their asking price will undoubtedly be considered, much to the frustration of fans who have enjoyed his development this season.

Trevoh Chalobah

Another academy graduate who has been available for transfer since the summer is Trevoh Chalobah, and the 24-year-old has no shortage of suitors.

Chalobah has not played this season due to injury and he has been subject to interest from Bayern Munich among other teams, however Chelsea’s asking price has proven detrimental so far.

The Blues are hoping to raise at least £30m from Chalobah’s sale but his current injury status means that teams may only be willing to make loan offers for the defender until he proves his fitness.

Armando Broja

The third Cobham graduate to have been put up for sale is Albanian striker Armando Broja. The 22-year-old has failed to deliver when given opportunities this term and the Blues are ready to cash in on him.

West Ham, Fulham and Wolves are all said to be interested in acquiring his services and intriguingly his exit will not be contingent on Chelsea signing a replacement, meaning that they could be left even more shorthanded up top.

Noni Madueke

Although not an academy graduate, Chelsea may consider cashing in on Noni Madueke just a year after he joined, with the 21-year-old frustrated at his limited opportunities so far.

Though recently given more chances to prove his worth, Madueke is not and undisputed starter for the Blues. Having been signed from PSV for £28.5m last January as one of Europe's most exciting talents, he may try and force an exit already despite Chelsea reportedly being unwilling to sell him.

Malang Sarr

Chelsea’s forgotten man Malang Sarr is all but certain to leave this year, having not featured for the club since the 2021/22 season and only playing eight Premier League games since signing in 2020.

Sarr still has 18 months left on his contract but he has not been given a shirt number or included in Chelsea’s squad for the season, indicating where he stands with the club at the moment.

Chelsea would be happy to let Sarr leave for a nominal fee, or potentially for free, in order to get his wages off the books but considering the situation was the same in the summer, the lack of interest means the Blues may have to terminate his contract if they want to save money.