Chelsea will look to offload a number of fringe players in the January transfer window, with Enzo Maresca looking to trim his bloated squad.

Head Coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea during a training session

Enzo Maresca is set to make changes to his Chelsea squad in January (Image: Darren Walsh/Getty Images)

Chelsea, a club notorious for its revolving door policy when it comes to players, is set to continue that trend in the upcoming January transfer window under the guidance of Enzo Maresca.

The Blues have a reputation for snapping up promising young talent and then loaning them out. However, since Maresca’s arrival from Leicester in the summer, there has been a shift in strategy, with the head coach favouring a more streamlined squad.

Maresca has been ruthless in his approach, identifying his key players and leaving others on the periphery, necessitating their departure in the New Year.

His hardline stance on discipline has made headlines, and he is prepared to sanction exits for peripheral figures in his second transfer window at the helm. According to BBC Sport, at least five players are up for grabs, either for transfer or loan, come January.

Topping this list is Ben Chilwell, whom Chelsea are eager to offload after failing to do so in the summer. Chilwell, who joined the club in a £50million deal from Leicester in 2020, now finds himself sidelined.

Maresca revealed last summer that Chilwell didn’t fit into his preferred style of play, with Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga ahead of him in the left-back pecking order.

The Blues are also likely to find it difficult to offload Carney Chukwuemeka as they are reportedly demanding £40m for the midfielder.

Chukwuemeka moved to Chelsea from Aston Villa for £20m in 2022 but has only made 32 appearances for the club since then, including five this season in the Carabao Cup or Conference League.

“There are players that unfortunately didn’t play a lot with us in all the competitions like Chilwell, like Carney,” Maresca recently admitted.

“Probably they are the first [to say] that they want to leave because they train every day, because they want to play games and if they don’t play games probably they are thinking of leaving.”

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Ben Chilwell is available for transfer in January (Image: PA)

Chelsea will have an easier time moving on Cesare Casadei, with the Italian midfielder attracting interest from both Feyenoord and Monza. Casadei is seeking more first-team football and will only be permitted to leave on loan.

Harvey Vale is entering the final six months of his contract and appears poised to depart Chelsea in January.

The 21-year-old forward is reportedly drawing attention from clubs in Europe and the Championship after turning down a move to Al-Ettifaq last summer.

Vale has scored nine goals and provided nine assists in 15 games for Chelsea’s under-21s this season and should not be short of potential suitors.

Alex Matos, a 20 year old central midfielder, is another player who could be on his way out in January. After spending the latter half of the previous season on loan at Huddersfield, he doesn’t feature in Maresca’s plans.