Five Chelsea players who could leave this summer

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 13 Jul 2023 21:02 BST
• 4 min read

Chelsea cannot afford to get it wrong again this summer - literally.

During the last two transfer windows, Chelsea spent a world-record amount on new signings.

They splashed out over £600 million on new players - never before has a team ever spent so much in one season.

Despite the huge outlay by Todd Boehly - who oversaw the purchase of the club in 2022 - Chelsea endured a disastrous 2022-23 season.

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They were languishing in the bottom half and went out early in all the cups. Virtually all of their new signings were disappointments.

Chelsea have already spent heavily again this summer but this has been offset by several big-name departures, and more are still expected to follow suit.

Below are five players who could exit Chelsea this summer.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the final signing of the Thomas Tuchel era last summer, and he was reunited with his former Borussia Dortmund manager for less than an hour of football before the German tactician was dismissed, with Graham Potter replacing him, last September.

Aubameyang never recovered and his time at Chelsea has been an unmitigated disaster. He scored just three goals last season.

Mauricio Pochettino has told Aubameyang to stay away from pre-season training for an extra week in a bid to speed up his departure.

Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Brighton and his performances earned him plenty of suitors. Chelsea are intent on keeping the player, but speculation about his future persists.

As FootballTransfers has been able to confirm, Liverpool's interest in the young defender is concrete and the Reds may be tempted to make a move.

It would be a huge transfer - perhaps the biggest of the summer involving Chelsea - and not just because he could fetch an almighty fee. Colwill is considered one of the best defensive prospects in Europe and he has the potential to become a world-class centre-back in the future.

Raheem Sterling

Chelsea have been tipped to cash in on Raheem Sterling just one season on from paying Manchester City nearly £50m for the England winger's services.

The Blues looked to have pulled off one of the coups of last summer's transfer window, persuading City to part ways with a player who had been key to them winning four Premier Leagues in five years.

But last season, Sterling was a shadow of the player who was so good at Man City, Liverpool and at Euro 2020 with England. While Sterling would prefer to stay, it is understood Chelsea are willing to listen to offers.

Hakim Ziyech

Hakim Ziyech will certainly leave Chelsea this summer after going agonizingly close in January.

Ziyech had been expected to complete a January Deadline Day move to PSG on loan but, as the Parisians raced to beat the clock, there was a problem with the paperwork.

Chelsea reportedly submitted the incorrect documents to Les Parisiens on three occasions, ending any prospect of the transfer being completed.

It was a humiliating sequence of actions from the Blues, but Ziyech is again in talks to leave Stamford Bridge. His Al-Nassr swap may have fallen through due to a failed medical, but Saudi interest persists.

Romelu Lukaku

Like Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku has been told to stay away from Chelsea training in order to facilitate a move.

Chelsea have been locked in negotiations with Inter for weeks in order to offload the man for whom they paid €115m in 2021.

Lukaku is almost certain to depart, but Inter is not his guaranteed destination. Juventus are also said to be interested, as are Saudi clubs, though the Belgian wants to stay in Europe.