Too much of something is bad – Chelsea’s roster is boiling over

Thomas Tuchel is blessed or burdened, with a substantial first-team roster. It is impossible for him to give each of his footballers enough minutes to keep them all satisfied.Tuchel has already admitted that few of his players want to leave Chelsea in search of constant playing minutes. If you think about it, those members of the team are making his job easier.’I was curious to see how the mentality is because, don’t forget, some of them leave their families behind, some of them want to stay in their loan clubs, some of them have not that possibility.’ Tuchel said about the big number of players he has at disposal.’Some of them have done two or three pre-seasons here already. Some of them want to look absolutely for the chance to stay, some of them want to maybe leave.’They’re humans, they’re not robots and that’s why we have to accept it’s not the easiest situation also for them.’If Kounde leaves Sevilla, it has to be for a Champions League club – why not the competition winners?Probably the biggest mystery is what will happen with 23-year-ols academy starlet Tammy Abraham. He has dramatically fallen out of favour under Tuchel at Chelsea and Arsenal are believed to be interested.He was largely forced to settle for a bit-part role behind Timo Werner. In 32 appearances in total last season, Abraham scored 12 goals. Also, it appears time for Abraham to move on as Chelsea are looking for another frontman this summer.Abraham admitted he idolised Thierry Henry in his childhood – promising piece of information for the interested Gunners.Tammy Abraham (©Gallo Images)On the other side of the pitch – neglected centre back Kurt Zouma. Since Tuchel arrived in January, the 26-year-old Frenchman has made just 13 appearances in all competitions. Regular game time appears unlikely for Zouma as Antonio Rudiger has been largely favoured over the last few months.Chelsea might agree a swap with Sevilla in which compatriots Zouma and Jules Kounde will change their surroundings. Kurt Zouma (©Gallo Images)EURO 2020 winner with Italy Emerson Palmieri has been in the background at Stamford Bridge for a while now. Luckily for him there are those who would like to sign him – new Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti is one of them. Emerson failed to make a single Premier League start last season, mostly because both Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso are fancied ahead of him by Tuchel, so a transfer looks more than likely.Emerson Palmieri (©Gallo Images)Spanish shot stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to impose as the standard No 1 between the posts, regardless of being the most expensive signing of the Blues at one point.His unstable form led the club to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes, and the Senegalese quickly became the new first choice goalkeeper.The Spain international made just 14 appearances for Chelsea in the 2020-21 campaign, mostly in cup competitions.Former Chelsea and new Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri is reportedly looking to bring Arrizabalaga over to Italy on a one-year loan, which sounds strange given the history between the two.Kepa Arrizabalaga (©Gallo images)Last season, above-mentioned left back Marcos Alonso played just 17 matches in total for Chelsea and scored two goals.The fact is Tuchel does have him in his plans, mainly as Chilwell’s back-up.The main question is if the 30-year-old Spaniard is up for such a scenario. If not, he will most probably leave west London.Marcos Alonso (©Gallo Images)Last season Aston Villa loanee Ross Barkley still has a chance to fight for the first team spot under Tuchel.He scored three goals in 24 appearances for the Villains but quickly supporters grew frustrated with a string of below-par performances. This summer will be absolutely pivotal for him but the severe competition in Chelsea’s midfield could make it tough for the 27-year-old Englishman.Ross Barkley (©Gallo Images)Another perspective last season loanee plus an academy boy – Ruben Loftus-Cheek – could walk out the exit door. Playing for local rivals Fulham last season gave him some consistency however he did not really impress.His future at the Bridge is shrouded in confusion – the 25-year-old midfielder is running out of time.Ruben Loftus-Cheek (©Gallo Images)It seems as if Michy Batshuayi has been a Chelsea player forever. However, none of the four managers that passed him in London saw the main striker in him.Since joining Chelsea in 2016, the 27-year-old has only made 77 appearances for the club.With four loans in five years, Batshuayi should see the following season as a player of a different club again. But this time on a permanent basis.Most probably a Turkish club since Trabzonspor have the Belgian on their radar.Michy Batshuayi (©Gallo Images)Since arriving from Monaco in 2017, Tiemoue Bakayoko did not manage to plant his feet with the Premier League side. Loans kept coming, one after another, so the 26-year-old Frenchman kept looking for his minutes in France and Italy.He will be able to walk away for nothing next summer, therefore it makes sense for Chelsea to offload him now for a fee, but the question is whether any clubs will be open to take the risk. Few Italian sides seem to like what Bakayoko has to offer.Tiemoue Bakayoko (©Gallo Images)Last but not least. A huge surprise in Chelsea’s pre-season is the presense of Danny Drinkwater.Drinkwater is well down the pecking order and, at 31, there is no more room for progression. The players he is up against in the midfield (Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic) make it impossible for the Englishman to go back to his Leicester-City-Premiership-winning ways and replace any of them.It is only a matter of time before he departs from Stamford Bridge.Danny Drinkwater (©Gallo Images)

Powered by Live Score & Live Score App