With the 2020/21 season now at an end, focus has already switched to the summer transfer window which opens its doors for business on June 9 for teams to make their moves.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and football being played behind closed doors aside from two games last season, finances across the clubs in Europes have taken a huge hit so a summer of heavy spending is not expected.
Chelsea, as usual, have been linked with a host of high-profile recruits but Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea’s Champions League winning head coach, may well be looking to trim his squad.
It was left rather bloated from the Frank Lampard era in west London but Tuchel decided not to make any changes after he arrived in late January, admittedly he only had two days before the winter window closed so decided to stay as he was.
It worked as well as Chelsea secured a top four finish then secured the Champions League crown on May 29 by beating Man City 1-0 in Porto. The only real disappointment for the German came in the FA Cup final where he saw his side beaten 1-0 by Leicester City at Wembley.
Roman Abramovich, who is expected to hand Tuchel a new contract this summer, is likely to hand some funds to the German to bolster his Europe-conquering squad to close the domestic gap on Man City in 2021/22.
However, some more funds could be raised for Tuchel’s warchest if he manages to get some players off the books.
The vast majority of Tuchel’s squad will be back in mid-July. However, others will depart in search of a new challenge and the chance to secure regular first-team football or a new adventure.
So who could be heading out of the exit door this summer?
Olivier Giroud
The veteran French striker is out of contract this summer and there has been speculation for some time that he will look to move on this summer.
West Ham reportedly hold an interest, as do Italian side AC Milan. Should Giroud leave then he will depart a Champions League winner and with nothing but thanks after his three years of service in west London.
Tammy Abraham
The striker played just five times under Thomas Tuchel, in two starts he was hauled off at half time and struggled badly for minutes after an ankle injury.
Being left out of the matchday squad for the Champions League final may well have been the final nail in the coffin. Abraham is still extremely popular at the club, as shown by the Porto celebrations last week but a move could be on the cards with Tuchel looking to bring in a new frontman this summer.
Emerson
The Italian defender played just 15 times last season and has never nailed down a spot as the regular left back after joining Chelsea from Roma in 2018.
He’s been linked with a return to Italy with Inter Milan and is likely to move on this summer, if Tuchel can get a replacement in as doubts also swirl around Marcos Alonso’s future.
Willy Caballero
Chelsea’s third-choice keeper was in the squad for the final at the Estadio do Dragao but has Kepa and Edouard Mendy in front of him and is also out of contract this summer.
The Blues could choose to keep him on as a third stopper and a lot depends on the future of Kepa as well as he’s unlikely to want to play second fiddle to Mendy once again next season, which is a near certainty.