Inside Chelsea’s plans to slash its 41-man squad
By Luke Oluoch, August 26, 2026In yet another season, London club Chelsea FC has found itself needing to trim down its large squad as it prepares for the new English top-flight campaign.
After a bustling summer transfer window, Xabi Alonso’s team was left with a bloated roster of over 40 senior players and now has just six days to resolve the situation.
No Champions League football
While the under-21 and homegrown regulations cover the vast majority of players on their books, the club still needs to trim its squad depth as it heads into a season of domestic competition only, following a tenth-place finish last season that left them without Champions League football.
As part of the restructuring for the new season under new manager Xabi Alonso, the club brought in Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, and Maxence Lacroix.
Full-backs Valentin Barco and Pep Chavarría also joined from Rayo Vallecano, among other new signings.
Meanwhile, with the transfer deadline closing on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the club has kicked off a clearance campaign, with Liam Delap being the latest to make a permanent exit.
Transfer clearance
The young attacker came through the ranks at Manchester City and later joined Ipswich Town, where he made a name for himself before Chelsea came calling for his services. His stint kicked off with much fanfare after a brilliant campaign with the Tractor Boys but ultimately failed to live up to expectations during his short stint at Stamford Bridge.
He secured a permanent move to rivals Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, adding to an already long list of recent summer departures, both on loan and permanently.
Loaned out
The club has already been heavily involved in summer player trading. Benoît Badiashile joined Napoli on loan, Axel Disasi moved to Crystal Palace, and Alejandro Garnacho secured a loan move to Aston Villa just under a year after his switch from Manchester United.
According to reports, Nicolas Jackson is set to be the next candidate out, with the Senegalese striker likely heading to EPL rivals Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s team has opened talks with Chelsea over a deal for Jackson, with The Telegraph reporting that the Villans have indicated a willingness to offer a lucrative package for the striker amid uncertainty over Ollie Watkins’ future.
The club is also reported to be open to further high-profile exits, with Enzo Fernández potentially on the move. Manchester City are expected to test Chelsea’s resolve with a late bid in the final week of the window, with reports indicating that the Argentine midfielder has opened the door to a departure amid City’s interest.