Chelsea transfer news: Blues planning 'seven-player clear-out' to avoid £52m UEFA sanction

Chelsea remain active in the transfer market, but the club are now focusing on departures. After spending over £200m on new signings and parting ways with players such as Joao Felix, the London outfit are reportedly planning to sell at least seven more players this window in order to balance the books and ensure compliance with UEFA's financial regulations.

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are open to negotiating the exits of Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Armando Broja, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu and Renato Veiga.

All of these players were either sent out on loan last season or have since fallen down the pecking order, and could now leave the club on permanent deals.

Chelsea's recent sales and financial pressure

In a bid to stay within UEFA’s financial guidelines, Chelsea have already completed two notable sales. Joao Felix has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in a deal worth approximately £43.7m, while teenage defender Ishe Samuels-Smith is set to join Strasbourg – a club owned by the same holding company as Chelsea, BlueCo – for around £6.5m.

Despite these sales, Chelsea are still under pressure to generate a positive net spend. The club were recently fined £27m by UEFA for breaching rules on sustainable earnings and squad cost control.

Failure to meet the financial standards going forward could result in further sanctions, with potential penalties of up to £52m over the next four years if additional breaches occur.

Chelsea continue to invest

Despite the urgent need to sell, Chelsea have not slowed down on recruitment. Under the leadership of Todd Boehly, the club have made several new signings, including Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap.

The Blues are also in negotiations with two of Europe’s most promising young talents: Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato and RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons.

Hato, 18, was left out of Ajax’s friendly against Como at his own request, amid reports of advanced talks with Chelsea. The Premier League club are said to be preparing a £35m offer for the Dutch defender.

Meanwhile, Simons – who was previously on the books of Paris Saint-Germain and was permanently signed by Leipzig in January following two loan spells – is also believed to be on Chelsea’s radar.

With eight signings already confirmed and more potentially on the way, Chelsea must now prioritise reducing their wage bill and bringing in revenue through player sales. More outgoings are expected in the coming weeks as the club look to trim their squad and meet UEFA compliance ahead of the new season.

This article was originally published on Trivela.