It is believed a "key player" at Chelsea is "now increasingly likely" to leave Mauricio Pochettino after some news this week.
Who will leave Chelsea?
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have invested significantly since their takeover of the west London club; spending nearly £400 million on new signings in the summer window alone. To balance the books and avoid FFP trouble, they decided to offload a host of players either on loan or permanently.
Indeed, Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi all left for £230 million in total (Transfermarkt).
While they got off to a slow start this season, even going from late August to early October without scoring a league goal, their Premier League form has slightly picked up recently with two wins from their last two.
While Pochettino attempts to steer his Chelsea side in the right direction, there are reports that more members of the squad could depart Stamford Bridge sooner rather than later. Left-back Marc Cucurella is one of the rumoured names, alongside defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is said to be attracting real interest from English rivals.
Veteran defender Thiago Silva, whose contract expires at the end of this season, most recently penned an extension back in February and has been an excellent servant to Chelsea since joining on a free transfer from Paris-Saint Germain in 2020. Winning the Champions League and becoming a real fan favourite, it will be painful for supporters to watch the Brazilian depart.
Thiago Silva update
Now, sharing a Thiago Silva transfer update, journalist Pete O'Rourke has some bad news on the matter. Writing for Football Insider, the reporter claims Silva is "now increasingly likely" to leave next year despite being a "key player" for Pochettino. The 39-year-old is approaching his final days in west London, "expected to quit" Chelsea upon the expiry of his deal in 2024. It appears he won't be penning a new deal or extending his stay at the Bridge, meaning Chelsea may well have to consider a replacement for him next year.
The South American has been praised for his contribution in recent seasons, being called a "leader" and "legend" by his teammates.
"First and foremost, it's a real honour to play alongside him," said Benoit Badiashile to talkSPORT this year. "And do you know what? For a young player like me, he's someone that makes things easy. He's a legend, isn't he? He's a real leader, he's very, very experienced of course. Any of the advice that he gives me is always welcome, he's advised me not only when we've been playing – he's spoken to me during the game.
Passing
Concentration
Blocking the ball
"But also before the game and in training as well. So he's someone that you can only learn alongside. And as I say, it's an absolute honour to line up alongside him."