Liam Delap, who only joined Chelsea last summer, looks set to leave the club but a brutal decision has been made with his future still in doubt
Liam Delap
Liam Delap has been training away from Chelsea's first team(Image: Getty Images)
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Chelsea have taken the ruthless step of taking Liam Delap's No.9 shirt away as the striker continues to be linked with an exit from west London. He's not the only one either, with Tosin Adarabioyo losing his No.4 shirt.
The striker is also training away from Xabi Alonso's main squad, with the club's stance on the 23-year-old now clear. Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk are among a group of up to 12 players working separately at Cobham, football.london understands.
Alonso is working closely with Chelsea's sporting directors to trim down his options ahead of the new Premier League season, which begins this week. As it stands, Chelsea have 41 first‑team players listed on their website - not including Axel Disasi, who spent last season on loan at West Ham.
That number does feature several academy prospects who have recently been involved with the senior squad.
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The Blues have moved away from the club's previous 'bomb squad' model, which once included high‑profile names such as Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Ben Chilwell, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix.
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Delap, who joined for £30million on a six‑year deal only last summer, has already seen his No.9 shirt handed to Joao Pedro after the [Brazilian has reportedly signed a new long‑term contract](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2089995785652060214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2026 ), with the English attacker now holding the No.12 shirt.
Chelsea are willing to sell Delap for a fee in excess of £50m, while Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, is also available if his £65m valuation is met.
Marc Guiu, now without a squad number, is part of the same group and valued at £25m.
Tosin is another player on the transfer list, and has moved from No.4 to No.38 in the squad list, with Aston Villa viewing him as a potential replacement for Ezri Konsa, who is edging closer to a move to Arsenal. The centre‑back also has interest from Marseille, Sevilla and Benfica, though Chelsea's valuation remains unclear.
Mudryk, meanwhile, is available for a loan move, but Chelsea have yet to find a temporary home for the Ukrainian winger, who has only recently returned to action after a lengthy suspension. Having already lost his No.10 shirt to Cole Palmer during his suspension, Mudryk is now taking the No.33 shirt - which Wesley Fofana has vacated to take the No.3.
Disasi is also expected to leave. The defender has interest from both the Premier League and overseas, though no deal is advanced at this stage.
New signings Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck - No.14 and No.18 respectively - have also been included in the group, but it is so the two experienced new signings can get up to speed. Who they train with is said to be dependent on their respective workloads and the session Alonso puts on with the main squad.