Chelsea are reportedly ready to let five out-of-favour players leave the club in order to raise funds for permanent deals for Joao Felix and Declan Rice.
The Blues managed to fend off competition from Arsenal to sign Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window, but his deal does not include an option or obligation to buy.
Nevertheless, having immediately become a regular fixture under Graham Potter, Felix is being tipped to end his underwhelming stint at Atletico to join Chelsea permanently for the 2023-24 season.
However, having spent £111m to bring Felix to the Spanish capital from Benfica in the summer of 2019, Atletico will reportedly look to recoup between £70m and £80m of that fee to let him leave for good.
Meanwhile, ex-Chelsea product Rice will likely be allowed to leave West Ham United this summer before his deal expires in 2024, and the Blues have long been linked with a move for their former youth starlet.
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A fee of over £100m has frequently been mentioned by Hammers boss David Moyes, although West Ham may be prepared to accept between £60m and £80m this summer lest they risk losing Rice for free in 2024.
A host of fringe players will likely be cut from the Stamford Bridge ranks to free up funds, and according to Fichajes, the Blues have identified five players that they could sell to boost their coffers.
Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Conor Gallagher and Kalidou Koulibaly could supposedly all be on the way out, with the former seeing a loan to Paris Saint-Germain break down in January.
Ziyech had flown to Paris in anticipation of a deadline day move going through, but Chelsea apparently sent over the wrong documents past the deadline, leading to a farcical collapse.
However, the Morocco international will likely be allowed to move on in the summer, having only been a bit-part player during Potter's tenure so far, and the same can be said for Gallagher and Pulisic.
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Everton and Newcastle United both saw approaches for Gallagher rebuffed in January, but the England international has not been able to nail down a regular first-team place.
Meanwhile, Pulisic - who has struggled with a knee injury for the past several weeks - is thought to be on the radar of Manchester United and Real Madrid, and his contract only runs until 2024 too.
Elsewhere, Koulibaly only arrived from Napoli in the summer window, but the Senegal centre-back has flattered to deceive in portions of the campaign and is being linked with an early departure.
Finally, Chelsea are in limbo regarding the situation of Mount, as little progress has been made in efforts to tie the 24-year-old down to a new contract beyond the end of next season.
The report states that Mount currently has no interest in staying on at Stamford Bridge, and Liverpool are said to be attentive to the situation.
Ben Knapton
