Raheem Sterling joins Chelsea's €400m REJECT XI

Chelsea have spent over €1.2 billion on new players under Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital regime, so naturally there are many that are now surplus to requirements.

The Chelsea squad is broken in two at Cobham, with half training under manager Enzo Maresca and being prepared to play games and so on.

Meanwhile, the other half of players are training separately with coach Carlo Cudicini, staying fit as they are surplus to requirements and the club would like them to seek moves elsewhere.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024 - All the Done Deals

This horrendous baseball-style treatment of players is surely unsustainable as players will not want to be treated like chattel, but right now there's enough players on Chelsea's rejected squad to form an entire starting XI.

Furthermore, the XI cost the Blues just under €400 million in transfer fees -and given it includes three academy graduates who cost nothing, that figure is even more ridiculous than it first appears!

READ MORE: Maresca sanctions €45m exit as Chelsea clearout continues

Chelsea's Reject XI

GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga (€80m)

Kepa Arrizabalaga is still the most expensive goalkeeper in football history.

The Spaniard cost Chelsea a whopping €80m and the two most notable things he's done in a Chelsea shirt are: refusing to be subbed in a cup final and then missing a penalty in a different cup final.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah (free)

Once a promising young defender from Chelsea's academy, Chalobah committed the grave sin of... being from Chelsea's academy.

That means whatever fee they sell him for will end up being pure profit, and as he isn't 'The Greatest Defender In The World', the Blues have decided to jettison him to raise cash.

CB: Axel Disasi (€45m)

Axel Disasi literally joined Chelsea a year ago for €45m. He had a middling debut season (with a notable highlight display against champions Man City) and he isn't in Enzo Maresca's long-term plans, according to The Guardian.

He remains in the normal training squad, but Chelsea would be happy to sell him and Newcastle United are among the clubs interest.

CB: Ben Chilwell (€50.2m)

Ben Chilwell has seen his time at Chelsea be blighted by injuries. It's a real shame because when fit he's looked quite useful.

Maresca was always going to prefer a demon presser like Marc Cucurella, but for Chilwell to be completely cast out feels cold, especially as he cost €50.2m.

RM: Angelo Gabriel (€15m)

Angelo is one of several Brazilian prodigies Chelsea have tried to make happen. He joined a year ago for €15m and spent the year on loan at Strasbourg who are also owned by BlueCo - aka Clearlake Capital.

Was he any good? Would it matter if he was? Answers on a postcard. He could leave this summer.

CM: Tino Anjorin (free)

Tino Anjorin has been at Chelsea since he was seven years old and he scored in their 2018 Youth Cup final win.

He's a proper Blue. He's also played more games for Lokomotiv Moscow than he has Chelsea. After three consecutive years on loan, he's on the way out again.

CM: Cesare Casadei (€14.9m)

Cesare Casadei cost Chelsea €14.9m two years ago. The Italian youngster spent the first half of last season out on loan at Leicester being managed by... Enzo Maresca!

Chelsea liked what they saw enough to recall him and give him 11 appearances in the second half of the season. Maresca has now banished him to the exile group.

LM: Raheem Sterling (€56.2m)

Two years ago, Chelsea acquired serial Premier League winner Raheem Sterling for €56.2m.

The English winger wanted more guarantees of first-team football and to return to London. He got his wish, but predictably struggled to find his way in the scattershot barrel of nonsense that has been Chelsea FC under Todd Boehly.

Sterling has somehow played for more managers in two years as a Chelsea player (five) than Premier League titles he won in seven years with City (four). Now, Maresca won't even let him play for Chelsea, saying he prefers a different kind of winger.

And remember on opening day he started Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku on the wings and neither of them are really wingers. So, Maresca is playing fast and loose with the truth. Or he doesn't know what the word winger means.

CF: David Datro Fofana (€12m)

David Datro Fofana cost Chelsea €12m last January and he looked a promising young forward upon his arrival.

He performed okay in a half-season on loan at Burnley last campaign, but is seemingly not a player that Chelsea want to rely on this season.

CF: Armando Broja (free)

Armando Broja joined Chelsea when he was eight years old and he progressed through their legendary academy (it's no La Masia but it's one of the best in Europe, for sure) with flying colours.

However, he's never managed to become a regular in the Chelsea first-team and although he's a willing worker, he's not a true goal-scorer.

ST: Romelu Lukaku (€113m)

Chelsea spent €113m to pluck Romelu Lukaku from his happy place in Serie A and drag him back to this rain-soaked island where all anyone does is make fun of his first touch.

He scored 15 goals back at Chelsea, but looked so miserable they let him spend the next two seasons back on loan in Serie A with Inter and Roma. Now they're trying to send him to Napoli on a permanent deal so they can sign another super expensive striker (Victor Osimhen).

Hopefully they treat the Nigerian better than they did Lukaku because for being 'The Most Expensive Player Of All-Time' (€335.5m in cumulative transfer fees!), Romelu Lukaku has rarely been treated with anything more than utter disdain by Chelsea.