Chelsea inability to shift six first-teamers costing millions per month, as flops begin to affect Tuchel’s young guns too

Chelsea are struggling to find buyers for six first-team flops who are costing millions per month, and their presence has already had a tangible impact on the club’s younger stars, per a report.

The Blues have gone big with each of their two first-team arrivals this summer. Raheem Sterling had added a new dimension to the forward line after arriving from Man City for £47.5m.

Kalidou Koulibaly became the first of what could be two or three defensive additions. The Senegalese cost £33m, while a Jules Kounde deal for north of £50m is rapidly taking shape.

However, on the exits front, Chelsea are struggling to shift the fringe elements of their squad.

Regarding first-teamers, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Romelu Lukaku have left. The two centre-backs departed as free agents, while Lukaku only left on loan.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are aiming to shift six stars on permanent deals, though finding buyers is proving difficult.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Malang Sarr, Kenedy, Ross Barkley, Michy Batshuayi and Timo Werner are all deemed up for sale. Unfortunately for the Blues, the players’ high salaries are thus far preventing concrete interest from emerging.

Chelsea flops having unwanted impact

In fact, the combined weekly outlay on those six players’ wages is around £500,000-a-week. As such, Chelsea are spending around £2m a month on players Tuchel reportedly has little interest in using.

Adding more misery to the story is the fact Tuchel reportedly had to sacrifice four Chelsea youngsters from the pre-season tour of America to make room for the fringe first-teamers.

The thought process was that the likes of Barkley and Batshuayi may impress in pre-season and rouse transfer interest. Clearly, that has not happened so far.

Kenedy, Batshuayi and Barkley will all see their contracts expire in 2023. As such, if Chelsea cannot find buyers for that trio either this summer or in January, they may lose them for nothing in 12 months’ time.

Any of the six worth keeping?

Kepa has proved himself a capable back-up for the cup competitions when Edouard Mendy gets a breather. However, that is clearly not the role Chelsea had in mind when splashing out a world record fee for a goalkeeper.

Of the six, only Timo Werner is likely to make any significant impact at Stamford Bridge next season.

Poor finishing and frequent struggles to stay onside have blighted Werner’s time in the capital thus far.

However, his pressing and high intensity style does cause problems for opposition defences and his selfless runs create space for those around him.

Unless Chelsea receive an offer close to the £47.5m they paid, they’d be wise to keep Werner around.