Mauricio Pochettino has allegedly identified seven Chelsea players that he would be prepared to part ways with during the next two transfer windows.
The head coach, who was appointed in the summer, has overseen some strong performances and results, but the Blues have also lacked consistency in all areas of the pitch.
A return of three defeats in four games has left Chelsea sitting in 12th position in the Premier League standings, 11 points adrift of the fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Pochettino suggested after the latest setback versus Everton that he hoped that Chelsea would be active in the transfer market in January, hinting at his frustration that promising aspects of their displays are not leading to wins.
Since then, a report has indicated that Pochettino would like to add a new centre-back, central midfielder and forward to his squad, improving the height of the team in the process.
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For that to become a realistic possibility, Chelsea will need to make player sales courtesy of already pushing their FFP situation to its limit.
According to TEAMtalk, Pochettino would give the green light to the departure of seven players should an acceptable proposal be presented to Chelsea.
Trevoh Chalobah has long been linked with an exit and that should materialise in January, while a loan move is expected to be found for Noni Madueke with the winger making just one Premier League start during 2023-24.
Ian Maatsen finds himself in a similar position with his 131 minutes of top-flight football being spread across nine substitute appearances at a time when he has just over 18 months remaining on his contract.
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The report adds, though, that Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto are surprise names who could be considered for a departure in January or the summer.
Disasi has started 14 of Chelsea's 16 Premier League fixtures since signing from Monaco, while injury and suspension has restricted Gusto to six starts and three substitute outings.
Marc Cucurella and Armando Broja complete the list of potential available players, the former having started eight league games this term despite being available for transfer in the weeks before the September deadline.
Broja has recently stepped up his game time after managing a fresh knee issue, but he remains with just one goal from 233 minutes of Premier League football during 2023-24.
Darren Plant
