This article contains affiliate links; we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Mauricio Pochettino faces a fight to remain the Chelsea manager going into next season. A sizable group of Chelsea stars is likely to leave the club this summer without getting so much as a farewell appearance over the final four games of the season. Pochettino is working with a bloated squad and Todd Boehly would surely love to raise some extra cash by selling stars currently out on loan, offloading those deemed surplus to requirements, and saying goodbye to players taking up unnecessary space on the wage bill.
Here, Express Sport takes you through eight squad members who may already have played their final match for the Blues. Ian Maatsen was only given one Premier League start by Pochettino before he joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January. Now flying high in Germany, the left-back has admitted he is ‘keeping his options open’ ahead of the summer, when his £35 million release clause could be triggered. The world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, will have only a year left on his contract when he returns from an unsuccessful loan spell at Real Madrid.
Djordje Petrovic has become Chelsea’s new No. 1, so Kepa will surely be on his way if Chelsea can find a suitable buyer. Armando Broja, who joined Fulham on loan in search of game time, has experienced a season that has gone from bad to worse, as he has been restricted to just 60 minutes off the bench so far. Chelsea are expected to consider offers for the striker this summer.
With just eight Premier League appearances in four years, Malang Sarr’s stint in west London has been nothing short of disastrous. Sarr, 25, has just over a year left on his deal but will surely look to leave in the interests of his football career. Chelsea could raise a healthy fee by auctioning off Romelu Lukaku this summer after an impressive season on loan at AS Roma, which has seen him notch 19 goals so far. It may not be in the Blues’ financial interests to keep a £25 million goalkeeper as back-up to Petrovic.