Chelsea are edging closer to completing the most remarkable of team rebuilds. Not only have they completed the signing of five new first team players with the potential for that to rise to eight depending on Lesley Ugochukwu's position and the additions of Michael Olise and Romeo Lavia, it is the selling process that has garnered most attention.
In a window of two halves, Chelsea focused their energy on ridding Mauricio Pochettino of anyone that didn't see themselves as being at the club in the long run and have replenished the supplies with big name incomings or returning loanees.
After the arrival of Moises Caicedo there was little left to be done as Lavia and Olise now appear to be formalities. Heading into the final two weeks of the window, the finishing touches are once more through the exit door.
Despite 10 players from last year's squad being sold or released and another five from the wider group loaned out again, the work is not yet complete. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku, all of which were left behind during the pre-season tour of America and haven't been handed shirt numbers for the 2023/24 campaign, are still on the books.
Each of them is keen to find a new home after years of unhappiness in west London. Hudson-Odoi has just one year remaining on his contract, as does Ziyech, and has been in talks with both Fulham and Nottingham Forest over a move. Lukaku has been harder to shift, turning Inter away from signing him permanently as well as rejecting Saudi Arabia.
Chelsea informed Juventus earlier this window that they were no longer interested in a swap deal for Dusan Vlahovic, leaving Lukaku the sole option of a Middle East club.
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