Enzo Maresca could sanction four Chelsea deals in January to secure £39.3m transfer windfall
The January transfer window opens in just over six weeks and it could be yet another busy period for Chelsea.
The Blues were extremely active in the summer, bringing in the likes of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for big fees. A number of players also left the club, with Ian Maatsen, Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku among those to depart.
With Enzo Maresca's squad still on the larger side, the winter window could be the perfect opportunity to move on several more players who are just not getting enough game time under the Italian. The most high-profile of which who falls into this category is Ben Chilwell.
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The left-back has only played once for Chelsea this season and that was a 45-minute appearance against Barrow in the Carabao Cup. The former Leicester City defender simply does not have a future at Stamford Bridge and must look to leave in January.
"We have a big squad and it is impossible to give all of them minutes, so probably it is better to leave," Maresca said on Chilwell and Raheem Sterling in the summer. "Brutal? I just try to be honest. I spoke with Raheem before the City game and said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us. Chilwell is a lovely guy but because of his position he is going to struggle with us."
Chilwell, who is valued at £18.3million on Transfermarkt, could still bring in a decent fee for the club, although a temporary loan move with an option to buy could also work. Another player who finds himself in a similar situation is Carney Chukwuemeka.
The 21-year-old has only played 49 minutes of football for the Blues this campaign and is another who is simply not in Maresca's plans. The Italian said in September: "I will say exactly the same thing I have said many times: Carney is a very good player, but for the amount of players we have, we decided at the beginning of the season it is probably better to leave and go somewhere, prove himself and playing 30 or 35 games than being here and play less games.
"Unfortunately that didn't happen. He is our player. He had some minutes the other day, today he was not involved. Hopefully, we can give him more minutes."
Chukwuemeka, valued at £12.5million on Transfermarkt, is attracting interest from elsewhere, with Ipswich reportedly one of the sides keeping tabs on the situation. AC Milan are another side linked with a move, although it remains to be seen if an exit will be permanent or temporary.
Two other players who could look to move on in January are Cesare Casadei and Josh Acheampong. Casadei has played three times in the Conference League and once in the Carabao Cup but just isn't getting the opportunities under Maresca. Acheampong, meanwhile, has made just one first team appearance this term - a 27-minute cameo against Barrow - with his contract situation believed to be one of the reasons behind his lack of minutes.
The highly-rated Blues teenage defender has 18 months remaining on his deal with the west London club and is now not expected to play for the first team or the development squad while the contract situation is still in dispute. Chelsea believed they had all but agreed an extension with Acheampong but the teenager has since gone back on the long-term contract, sources have disclosed to football.london.
Acheampong, valued at £250,000 on Transfermarkt, is highly thought of at Chelsea but it is possible he leaves, alongside Casadei, who is valued at £8.3million. So, if Chelsea do sell Chilwell, Chukwuemeka, Casadei and Acheampong in January, it could bring in around £39.3million.
It remains to be seen what exactly happens in the January transfer window. But a number of Chelsea players will go into the window with uncertain futures.