During the 2025/26 campaign, Chelsea spent 200 days inside the Premier League’s top six, only to capitulate spectacularly and limp to a 10th-placed finish, leaving them with no European football to look forward to next season. A reset is inevitable at Stamford Bridge, and Xabi Alonso will officially take charge on July 1, 2026, on a four-year deal.
The Spaniard is inheriting a squad built for a punishing calendar from the Club World Cup onwards, but with just one match per week on the cards for his side, he simply doesn’t need an army of bodies hanging around. Sales are important for replacing lost European income and for paring the significant excess that has accumulated during BlueCo’s recruitment spree.
So, taking a look at each position, let’s review who should be sold, kept, or loaned out:
Goalkeepers
Robert Sanchez is still here despite the bizarre efforts of Liam Rosenior to ruin his confidence during that doomed 106-day reign. Mike Penders, the 20-year-old Belgian, comes from Strasbourg and should learn under Sanchez and earn his minutes through the cup competitions. Filip Jorgensen has not done enough to deserve Premier League starts and should be moved on.
Defenders
Reece James and Levi Colwill are non-negotiable cornerstones, with Colwill’s return from his ACL injury one of the few bright sparks of the whole campaign. Trevoh Chalobah continues to be a reliable Cobham-born backup whose love for the club is never in question. After the turn of the year, Jorrel Hato, just 20, was outstanding and looks to have the potential to be an Alonso lieutenant for years to come.
Wesley Fofana is a £200,000-a-week liability who got his second red card of the season at Sunderland and has to be sold, even if his ridiculous wages make it hard to find a buyer. Marc Cucurella has just two years left on his deal and looked completely disinterested by the end of the campaign, so a return to Spain might be in order.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto and Axel Disasi should all be cashed in on, while Mamadou Sarr and Josh Acheampong would benefit massively from loan moves.
Midfielders
Moises Caicedo, who just signed a new long-term deal and is the joint-Premier League leader in interceptions with 59 across the season, is not going anywhere. Enzo Fernandez should also stay, as Chelsea look a different animal with him pulling the strings in midfield, although a £100m bid would force a serious internal conversation.
Romeo Lavia has not played a single 90-minute match since arriving for £53 million three years ago, and the injury saga has dragged on long enough. I think it’s time to part ways.
Dario Essugo needs a loan after his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge was wrecked by thigh problems. Andrey Santos just about made an impact against Sunderland, and with a new midfielder coming in, his minutes could be limited. A lucrative sale has to be seriously considered.
Attackers
This project is built around Cole Palmer, so he stays. Xabi Alonso’s previous work with Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen also indicates an intriguing partnership is in store for the Englishman next season. Then there is the youthful excitement of incoming Geovany Quenda and Estevao Willian, while Joao Pedro, the club’s 20-goal Player of the Season, should be considered properly untouchable, despite Barcelona sniffing around.
Liam Delap has been a £30 million disaster, his one Premier League goal a damning indictment of a so-called number nine. Meanwhile, Pedro Neto is more likely to pass it backwards than take his full-back on. Alejandro Garnacho is the latest in a long line of left-wing flops, including Mudryk, Sterling, Sancho and Gittens. They should all be sold while there’s still a market for them. Jamie Gittens, personally, is in the same category despite his injury struggles.
Nicolas Jackson is worth keeping, if he is willing to recommit himself now that Maresca has gone, while Marc Guiu, Emmanuel Emegha and Shim Mheuka would all benefit from competitive minutes on loan elsewhere in Europe.