Chelsea draw up eight-player shortlist ahead of summer cull | OneFootball

Chelsea are planning to sell as many as eight players during a busy summer transfer window, with one report naming two of the individuals put in the for-sale pile.

The Blues have already struck two deals ten weeks before the window even opens. Sporting CP's Portuguese pairing of Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo have both been snapped up. While Quenda will remain in Lisbon next season, Essugo is set to join a Chelsea squad which is poised for plenty of turnover.

Enzo Maresca's side are plotting an extensive overhaul this summer, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that "seven or eight" players are expected to move on. The report goes on to name Kepa Arrizabalaga and Axel Disasi as two examples of individuals likely to be heading for the exit.

That aforementioned duo are currently out on loan at fellow Premier League sides. Kepa hasn't played for Chelsea since May 2023 and it has been more than two years since he kept his most recent clean sheet for the Blues. After a mixed spell with Real Madrid last term, Kepa has established himself as Bournemouth's number one goalkeeper.

Axel Disasi has been a regular for Aston Villa since arriving earlier this year / Molly Darlington/Copa/GettyImages

Disasi has worn the captain's armband for Chelsea as recently as December, but joined Aston Villa on loan at the end of the winter window. In the space of three weeks, the French defender has already made as many Premier League starts for Villa (four) as he was afforded at Chelsea during the first six months of the season.

It remains to be seen whether Bournemouth and Villa will be the clubs that sign Kepa and Disasi - although both have fared reasonably well during their respective loan spells.

Jadon Sancho's future is no longer as certain as once presumed and both of Chelsea's first-team goalkeepers, Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, could be offloaded after desperately underwhelming campaigns.

Enzo Fernandez has also been linked with a move away but Chelsea appear intent on fending off Real Madrid's reported interest.

It won't solely be a summer of sales for the Blues. Maresca's side are targeting a new striker and winger to bolster an attack which remains reliant upon Cole Palmer. Following a dip in form for the talismanic playmaker, Chelsea have been outscored by 13th-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the top flight this season.