Chelsea are planning a January exit for a "quality" member of Enzo Maresca's squad, and he's got an array of Premier League suitors heading into the looming winter transfer window.
Players who could leave Chelsea in the January transfer window
There are a good few players who could be shown the Stamford Bridge exit door when the window opens for business on January 1, and they're exactly who you'd expect.
chelsea-man-united-premier-league Related
£42 million forward keen to join Chelsea after talks held with his agents
He's now interested in a move to Stamford Bridge.
Maresca has already ruled out any January departure for Christopher Nkunku, with the Frenchman proving extremely useful off the bench and scoring 12 goals in all competitions.
There were murmurs of Nkunku being unhappy with his lack of game time, but Maresca poured cold water over a possible exit next month.
However, the same cannot be said for left-back Ben Chilwell, midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka or Cesare Casadei. Chelsea are fielding approaches for Chilwell before January, according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, while there is a belief that Chukwuemeka is pushing to leave Stamford Bridge amid his lack of opportunities.
Chelsea's next Premier League fixtures Date
Everton (away) December 22
Fulham (home) December 26
Ipswich Town (away) December 30
Crystal Palace (away) January 4
Bournemouth (home) January 14
Reports in Italy are heavily linking Casadei with a return to Serie A. Indeed, it is believed Monza have been in talks over signing Casadei on loan, while AC Milan and Juventus are also believed to hold a serious interest.
Cesare-Casadei-Chelsea
All three players have been bit-part players this term, mainly used in cup competitions, and summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall certainly falls into that bracket as well.
The Englishman, who was a star man under Maresca during Leicester City's push for Premier League promotion last season, now finds himself on the fringes of Chelsea's first team after joining them for around £30 million in the summer.
Chelsea planning January exit for Dewsbury-Hall with 10 teams interested
Dewsbury-Hall has been regularly linked with a Chelsea exit as a result, but CaughtOffside now write that the midfielder is in serious demand. Indeed, it is believed that as many as 10 sides from Britain alone are keen on offering him an escape route next month as Chelsea plan to offload Dewsbury-Hall in January.
Leicester City, Fulham, Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, Manchester United and Arsenal are all monitoring this situation closely, with the plethora of teams sensing a real opportunity to bolster their midfield ranks.
Chelsea's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action with Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana
It has been a tough time for Dewsbury-Hall in his new surroundings, but it will be comforting for the player to know there are many other potential destinations for him as we fast approach 2025.
“Maresca knew about him and knew he was a quality player," said journalist Graeme Bailey to The Chelsea Chronicle recently.
"It was a very strange deal. I don’t think he’s going to be at Chelsea at the start of next season. It is what it is. He’s not the only one it will happen to. Chelsea are well set in that department.”