Chelsea Transfers: Five in, EIGHTEEN out on day of MAYHEM

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 1 Jul 2023 17:16 BST
• 3 min read

Today marks the start of the new financial year in football, and it’s all systems go at Chelsea – with three new faces in, and almost an entire matchday squad’s worth of players on their way out…

Arriving at Stamford Bridge are right-back Malo Gusto – who the Blues signed from Lyon in January but immediately loaned back to the French club – and forwards Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, who join from RB Leipzig and Villarreal respectively – as well as youngsters Diego Moreira from Benfica and Alex Matos from Norwich City.

But we might also be seeing the beginnings of a mass summer clear-out by the two-time European champions, as no fewer than 16 players move on permanently – among them Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante, who have joined Arsenal, Manchester City and Al-Ittihad respectively – plus one on loan and Joao Felix, who returns to parent club Atletico Madrid.

MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers | All the Done Deals

Three other first-team regulars have also bid the Blues farewell: Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy will both join Kante in the Saudi Pro League next season, having signed for Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli respectively, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek has just completed a move to AC Milan.

Tiemoue Bakayoko finally leaves Stamford Bridge as a free agent – having spent four of the past five campaigns away on loan, with a whole host of players moving on without making a single senior Chelsea appearance – among them goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, who joins Bolton Wanderers, and left-back Juan Castillo, who is now a free agent.

Meanwhile, nineteen-year-old midfielder Charlie Webster will spend next term on loan with Heerenveen of the Eredivisie.

MORE: Chelsea fight to keep hold of star defender amid Liverpool interest

Splashing the cash

This latest mass exodus is emblematic of Chelsea’s chaotic approach to the transfer market in recent years – which has only intensified since Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club 13 months ago.

The Blues splurged more than £600m (a touch under €700m) on new players during the summer 2022 and winter 2023 transfer windows – and they’ve already spent £84m (almost £98m) this summer.

That said, amid fears of a Financial Fair Play (FFP) breach, they have generated £138m (roughly €160m) through the recent sales of Havertz, Koulibaly, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek and Mendy.