Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso during Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal(Image: Marc Atkins)
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After a summer full of ins and outs at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be hoping the following transfer windows are not as busy in that regard.
Xabi Alonso came in and was given the keys to the Blues' summer transfer plans. The newly-appointed Chelsea manager was pretty ruthless in regards to a whole range of players he didn't want at the club.
In the end, according to Stamford Bridge insiders, Chelsea made way over £500million in player sales over the course of the window.
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Next summer, Alonso and Chelsea, unless the season becomes something close to a repeat of the 2025/26 campaign, will be hoping there are not so many ins and outs. There are four players, however, that the Blues might feel obliged to make a decision over.
Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, two summer signings, both signed two-year contracts at the club. Next summer, they will have 12 months remaining on their respective deals but their case is a bit different to others.
Chelsea brought in Henderson on a free transfer after the 36-year-old struck a gentleman's agreement with Brentford to release him from his deal there. While the fee to bring Welbeck in from Brighton is undisclosed, sources have told football.london it was very minimal.
Henderson is 36 and Welbeck is 35, so there isn't too much in the way of resale value - something Chelsea were more than aware of when pursuing the surprise deals.
Danny Welbeck celebrates
Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring his first goal for Chelsea(Image: Richard Heathcote)
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Usually when a player enters the final year of his contract, their club will look to either extend their stay or try and sell them on. In this case, though, Chelsea might want the pair to see out their deals at Stamford Bridge.
Both players made their full Premier League debuts for Chelsea last time out in the defeat to Brentford. With Joao Pedro injured, Welbeck got a run as the No.9 but failed to make an impact, however the former Arsenal striker has started the season impressively, scoring three goals in two Carabao Cup appearances.
Henderson, meanwhile, was brought straight into the midfield after being declared fit following a serious arm injury he sustained in the summer. The former Liverpool captain showed encouraging signs at times against the club he left in the summer in order to join Chelsea, although it appears unlikely that he will start too many Premier League matches in his debut season.
Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson impressed on his Chelsea debut against Brentford(Image: Alex Pantling)
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Elsewhere, Chelsea goalkeeper duo Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Gabriel Slonina are both into their final two years of their contracts. Gone are the days where the Blues would name two goalkeepers on the bench, so neither have made a squad yet this season.
Both could be moved on next summer with Chelsea seeking some sort of fee for their services. That would likely mean, though, the Blues trying to source another third-choice goalkeeper on the cheap, or they could promote from their academy.