How Chelsea must overhaul squad: Kai Havertz sold, N’Golo Kante gone and Denis Zakaria signs

The Blues are undergoing a significant squad overhaul under the new ownership and manager Graham Potter, and it’s time for some tough decisions
Nizaar Kinsella12 January 2023

Graham Potter retains the support of Chelsea's new owners, despite an alarming run of results.

Co-owner Todd Boehly views Potter as the man to handle this period of transition, but Chelsea are facing a huge overhaul of their squad.

Here, Standard Sport assesses which players they should keep, offload or might be stuck with.

Edouard Mendy: exceptional for two seasons, but mistakes have now crept into his game and Chelsea could cash in. SELL

Kepa Arrizabalaga: Potter has given him a chance and his £190k-a-week wages make him hard to shift. KEEP

Marcus Bettinelli: a good third-choice goalkeeper option and is known to be good behind the scenes. KEEP

Gabriel Slonina: the teenage American summer signing will need multiple loans before becoming No1. LOAN

Kepa has taken Edouard Mendy’s starting spot
AFP via Getty Images

Benoit Badiashile: the £33m defender has only just arrived and will need time to adapt to English football. KEEP

Kalidou Koulibaly: arrived to much fanfare but has struggled badly since joining so Chelsea should sell if a buyer will take him. SELL/LOAN

Thiago Silva: despite his age, is Chelsea’s best player in his position. Worth a deal extension with a succession plan in place. KEEP

Levi Colwill (on loan at Brighton): is the best teenage centre-back in England and a future star. KEEP

Trevoh Chalobah: usually plays well when given the chance and is growing into a good central defender. KEEP

Wesley Fofana: has not done himself justice since joining for £75m, but has the potential to become a top defender. KEEP

Bashir Humphreys: faces too much competition to make it at Chelsea and should attract buyers. SELL

Kalidou Koulibaly has been poor since joining.
Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Cesar Azpilicueta: the captain and a club legend but is losing his pace. Should have joined Barcelona last year. SELL

Reece James: when fit, still Chelsea's best player. Signed a six-year contract last year, so his future is secure. KEEP

Marc Cucurella: was overpriced at £60m and underperforming, but hard to sell and young enough to improve. KEEP

Ben Chilwell: injuries have derailed career, but if he can recover well he can become a key player again. KEEP

Ian Maatsen (on loan at Burnley): shining in the Championship and may get a Premier League loan. LOAN

Malang Sarr (on loan at Monaco): the French club have the option to buy him at the end of his loan, and Chelsea should sanction his exit. SELL

N’Golo Kante: one of the world’s best, but has succumbed to injuries in the past 18 months and his contract expires in the summer. RELEASE

Jorginho: unpopular with the fans, no longer an automatic midfield starter and out of contract soon. RELEASE

Jorginho has lost his place this season.
Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Mateo Kovacic: a fine midfielder on his day and increasingly a leader behind the scenes. KEEP

Ruben Loftus-Cheek: a reliable back-up option, versatile and with the potential to improve. KEEP

Conor Gallagher: has not been good enough technically but may command a good transfer fee to reinvest. SELL

Denis Zakaria: the midfielder has barely put a foot wrong since arriving on loan, and is worth his £27m release clause. KEEP

Carney Chukwuemeka: £20m buy feels like the smartest bit of business done so far by the new owners. KEEP

Mason Mount: Two-time player of the year deserves a new deal despite his inconsistency this season. KEEP

Lewis Hall: Breakthrough star feels he could circumvent the loan system and make an impact now. KEEP

Kai Havertz: Scorer of some big goals in Chelsea history, but is not consistent and a saleable asset. SELL

Callum Hudson-Odoi is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen
Getty Images

Christian Pulisic: Never does enough to be a regular, is unhappy and his contract is up in 2024. SELL

Callum Hudson-Odoi (on loan at Leverkusen): Chelsea are more likely to buy talent than give him a go. SELL

Hakim Ziyech: It might just be his natural body language, but he often looks uninterested. SELL

Raheem Sterling: £50m summer signing's form has dipped after a good start, but he will come good. KEEP

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Hasn’t adapted to Potter and doesn’t look to have a future under him. SELL

Armando Broja: Young forward can grow into a top player once he recovers from his knee injury. KEEP

David Datro Fofana: January signing from Molde may get a chance, but needs a loan first. KEEP

Romelu Lukaku (on loan at Inter): £97.5m record signing is set for another Inter loan. SELL/LOAN

Omari Hutchinson: summer buy from Arsenal needs a loan before he can be a first-team option. LOAN

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