Pochettino is considering dropping 15 Chelsea players.

Kante , Pulisic, Azpilicueta, and Mendy are among the stars who could leave Chelsea this summer as new manager Mauricio Pochettino overhauls the squad.

Chelsea currently has over 30 players, not including around 20 players on loan. According to the British newspaper Sport Mail on May 31st, new manager Mauricio Pochettino is considering dropping 15 players.

Joao Felix was the first victim of the personnel overhaul at Stamford Bridge. A day after Chelsea confirmed their signing of Pochettino, Atletico Madrid – Felix's parent club – announced his return after a six-month loan deal, as Chelsea did not activate the buy-out clause. Similarly, midfielder Denis Zakaria will return to Juventus on loan.

Chelsea was Pochettino's first club after leaving PSG in June 2022. Photo: Reuters — Chelsea was Pochettino's first club after leaving PSG in June 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Edouard Mendy, and Callum Hudson-Odoi are likely to leave this summer. The group of players whose futures are uncertain includes Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Mason Mount also wants to leave. However, Pochettino is trying to convince the player, who has one year left on his contract, to commit to a long-term future at Chelsea. If Mount decides to leave Stamford Bridge, Manchester United is the most likely destination. Liverpool, Arsenal, and several foreign clubs have also expressed interest.

Several players are set to return to Chelsea after their loan spells expire. Pochettino will have to decide the future of Romelu Lukaku, Levi Cowill, and Malang Sarr.

Conversely, according to the Daily Mail , Chelsea could sign a striker, although they are reportedly close to signing Christopher Nkunku – the RB Leipzig player they have been eyeing since last year. Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Inter's Lautaro Martinez, and Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic. In addition, Chelsea are in talks with Sporting Lisbon for 22-year-old defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

Pochettino will arrive in England this week to prepare for his new job. He will begin managing Chelsea on July 1st, with a two-year contract. Before Chelsea, Pochettino managed Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, and PSG. Pochettino's best achievement was leading Tottenham to the 2018-2019 Champions League final. He also won a Ligue 1 title, a French Cup, and a French Super Cup with PSG.

Chelsea finished the 2022-2023 season 12th in the Premier League, with 44 points from 38 matches, 17 points behind the European qualification spots. They also failed in the third round of the FA Cup, the third round of the League Cup, and the quarter-finals of the Champions League. During that season, Chelsea players worked under four different managers: Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, and Frank Lampard.

Last summer and in January 2023, Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly spent over $700 million on the transfer market. He brought in 21 players, making the squad overcrowded. New signing Enzo Fernandez set a record for the most expensive player in England with a price tag of $130 million.

Thanh Quy (according to Daily Mail )

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