Chelsea bosses have reportedly set a mind-boggling target to meet by the end of the transfer window. And hitting it would only be good news for manager Enzo Maresca, who is gearing up the squad for his second season at the helm.
The Blues have welcomed a raft of new faces to Stamford Bridge this summer. Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estevao Willian and Liam Delap will bolster Maresca's forward options, with Jorrel Hato and Dario Essugo also expected to fill first-team roles this campaign. Chelsea have one or two other targets in their crosshairs, namely Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, but their priority has pivoted to trimming down the squad and extracting maximum value in the process.
Handsome fees have already been fetched for Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and Djordje Petrovic, as well as a host of other fringe players. It has been reported that £80million-rated Nicolas Jackson is also creeping towards the exit door amid interest from a host of teams in England and abroad.
Offloading Jackson would take Chelsea's total selling income for this window beyond the £200m mark. But, remarkably, The Athletic claim that Stamford Bridge chiefs plan to amass around £350m from player sales before the end of the month.
The midfield trio of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu are all set to complete departures which will net Chelsea nearly £100m in total. And Armando Broja is on his way to Burnley in a deal worth around £20m.
Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku are also up for sale as part of a clear-out which should make Maresca's life easier on multiple fronts.
For one, the Chelsea boss will benefit from working with a smaller, more manageable squad, allowing him to put time into improving individual players and give them minutes across various competitions. It will also give Blues transfer chiefs the funds to go after the signings that would put the cherry on top of an already productive window.
RB Leipzig star Simons and Manchester United outcast Garnacho are both thought to be keen on completing moves to Chelsea. It is thought that the London club will ramp up their efforts to sign the pair once the bulk of their outgoing business has been signed off.
A deal for Simons could reportedly be agreed for around £60m, while United want £40m for Garnacho. Maresca would be spoilt for choice if the two young talents join up with the players making up an already stacked attacking force.