The overall strategy Chelsea’s sporting directors have been told to take over their 4 windows in charge is one of lowering the average wage bill and lowering the average age of the squad. That means selling off established first team players in their prime, and replacing them with up and coming younger players.
No wonder, then, that rumours abound that we’d like to sell off at least one of our big-earning options at left back. Both Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell earn big money, and both are beyond their 26th birthday. All summer we’ve heard briefings that the Blues would happily sell off one of the two, should a good offer come in.
Both have had some vague links elsewhere, but the same wages that is making Chelsea keen to move them on are also making potential buyers reluctant to commit.
A ready made replacement
One major option for Chelsea at left back should they manage to secure a good fee for Cucurella or Chillwell is Patrick Dorgu. Today, we’ve seen another wave of rumours emerge, this time headed up by TeamTalk. They sy we’ve got “genuine interest” in the 19 year old, who made himself a Serie A regular last season. He’s the right age for our current model, and would apparently cost something like €30m.
That exchange would leave them with whichever of their two first team options remain, plus Dorgu as their alternate. Then Renato Veiga and Levi Colwill as versatile first team squad members with the ability and experience to cover as third and fourth choice.
But unless a team really comes in with a convincing offer for either Cucurella or Chilwell, they will be staying put, and the hierarchy (and wage bill) as it is now will remain the same.
