Chelsea to offload 12-players after pre-season defeat

In a bold move set to reshape the future of Chelsea, new manager Enzo Maresca has been given the green light to offload as many as 12 players from Stamford Bridge this summer. According to sources from the Mirror, this extensive cull includes several high-profile names and signals a significant shift in strategy for the West London club.

Top of the list is assistant captain Ben Chilwell, along with goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and the much-debated Romelu Lukaku, who has yet to don the Chelsea jersey for the past two seasons. The club has faced difficulties offloading the Belgian international, struggling to find a buyer willing to take on his hefty wages.

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Spanish shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga, recently returned from a loan spell at Real Madrid, is also set to depart. Other notable names on the chopping block include Armando Broja, David Datro Fofana, and Cesare Casadei.

Conor Gallagher and Trevor Chalobah are among the top players who could be shown the door, alongside Petrovic and Chilwell. Malang Sarr has already exited, while promising talents like Alfie Gilchrist, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Andrey Santos are likely to leave on loan in search of regular first-team action.

This drastic overhaul under Maresca’s leadership aims to streamline the squad and inject fresh talent into a team looking to bounce back from two disappointing seasons.