Chelsea finally have to sell the £52m ace who earns more than Palmer & Caicedo

Of at Chelsea new owners took over in 2022, one thing that has been at the forefront of their business is reducing the payroll and implementing a much more structured approach within that department. This was done with great effect in the few years of their administration.

In the 2022/23 season, the Blues had seven men earning over £200,000 a week, not including loan players such as Romelu Lukaku, who was also on huge wages. Their total gross wages per week were approx £4.3m at the time.

Fast forward to the 2024/25 season, Chelsea managed to reduce that to £3,297,500 per weektaking more than £1 million from his weekly wages. That being said, the likes of Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling (on loan) are still at the club, despite the directors’ efforts to move them on in the summer.

While some of the club’s top players such as Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer earn £150,000 or less a week, Chelsea’s directors will look to offload the last few high-paid players who have not started for the club, and that could continue with some exits this month.

Players who could leave Chelsea this month

Sterling and Chilwell are the two main players who earn good money at the club, but they need to be moved. While Sterling is currently on loan with Arsenal, it is unlikely that he will be recalled, so his future will be assessed and decided over the summer.

However, it is Chilwell who could leave the club this month, playing just once this season for the Bluescoming off the bench against Barrow in the EFL Cup for a 45-minute cameo. The 28-year-old still has plenty of suitors, such as West Ham United but his high wages could prove to be a stumbling block.

Another Chelsea star who could leave this month is Axel Disasi, who only signed a contract in the summer of 2023, joining the Monaco club on a fee of around £38.8 million. Since arriving, the 26-year-old has made 60 appearances for the clubscored five times, registered two assists and played a total of 4961 minutes.

The Frenchman was a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino but has found himself on the bench under new manager Enzo Maresco, with a difference in style that doesn’t quite suit the defender. Last campaign, Chelsea defended their own box more often, and the central defenders had less responsibility on the ball when building from the back.

Under Maresco, Chelsea formed in a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, switching to a 3-2-5 on the ball, with the back three responsible for circulating possession and finding passes to break the line into the midfielders and forwards . They are also expected to defend in higher positions in a man-to-man manner, away from their own box, which does not suit Disasi’s style of play.

The latest player to leave this month is Carney Chukwuemeka, who was also signed under new ownership in his first spell in charge, joining from Aston Villa for a fee of around £20 million. The 21-year-old has only in the current part of the season, he appeared only five times.

Chukwuemeka’s talent levels are clear, which is why a loan move could be the best move for him to show it with consistent minutes before Chelsea make a final decision on whether to sell him permanently or give him more first-team chances.

But there is another one who simply has to leave Stamford Bridge for the sake of his own career…

Why Christopher Nkunku should leave Chelsea

One of the main links that has come up this past week is about Nkunku’s future at the clubwho is now being linked with a move to Bayern Munich. The player is said to be interested in moving to Germany, as he wants to play more minutes.

The 27-year-old was convicted for Jamie O’Hara’s “moaning” this seasonomitted from the starting 11 in place of Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer. Despite Nkunku’s impressive goalscoring record, having scored 13 goals in 28 appearances already this campaign, many of his contributions have come in the UEFA Conference League, which is widely regarded as weaker opposition, inflating his output.

The £52m up front he found himself as a back-up striker in Maresca’s system, with Palmer and Joao Felix keeping him away from his preferred attacking midfield position. When comparing Nkunku (as a striker) to Jackson, you can see that both want to contribute in the build-up, dropping deep to connect the play.

This has often meant that when Maresca feels the need to change the rhythm of the game with substitutions, he is unable to do so as both of his attacking options offer similar attributes to the squad. Since Nkunku is a backup in both areas, it would be wise to move him and replace him with another forward, one who offers something different to the team’s personnel.

One player mentioned in Nkunku’s contract for Bayern Munich is Mathys Telbut like Jackson, he offers similar attributes in terms of contributions at all stages. Another name that could offer a bit more presence in the box and more of a bully profile is Liam Delapbut moving Nkunku will be a big part of any work Chelsea can do in the upper half of the pitch in this window.