Tuchel confirms no need for wholesale departures at Chelsea this summer

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:42 CDT
• 5 min read

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has ruled out any need for wholesale departures in the summer and believes his squad is the “perfect” size. 

The Premier League giants spent a fortune in the summer transfer window, spending no less than £120 million on at least seven new first team players. 

These new signings were additions to a squad that was already bulging at the seams and had already shed some back-up players off to other clubs on loan. 

Indeed, Chelsea currently have 20 players out on loan this season, with most of them set to return to the club next season. 

As such, speculation has surrounded a number of first team players that have struggled to pick up enough game time since Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard in January. 

However, the Chelsea manager was quick to dismiss that he had too many players in his squad and needed to sell some of them in the summer. 

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“It’s the perfect size and it’s a big effort from the medical department we can choose from many players,” said Tuchel at a press conference on Friday.

“The only thing I am missing is not having five substitutes to use more of my players. I have so many players that I can’t reward. I have been pushing for that at all the clubs I have coached. 

“There are players I would like to reward for their effort and attitude but the size of the squad is actually perfect.”

Least used players in the Chelsea squad this season

Which squad players could leave Chelsea in the summer?

While Tuchel may dismiss the idea that some of his players aren’t getting enough game time, it’s clear that a number of first team players aren’t part of his immediate plans and may wish to find other clubs in the summer. 

Perhaps the most obvious ones at this point in the season are Kepa, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Tammy Abraham, who have all struggled to convince Tuchel that they should be started each week. 

On top of that, first team players Willy Caballero, Thiago Silva and Olivier Giroud are all approaching the end of their current contracts and may move on when they expire in the summer.