Maurizio Sarri
Chelsea endured a disappointing title defence in their second campaign under Antonio Conte. The Blues were able to finish 5th, which only allows them to compete in the Europa League next season. Conte did manage to lift the FA Cup, thanks to an Eden Hazard spot-kick that gave the Blues a 1-0 win over Manchester United.
But there are concerns over Antonio Conte’s future after a lacklustre season with the club. There are reports claiming that the Italian could be shown the door soon, with Maurizio Sarri taking charge of the reins. Lifting the FA Cup probably won’t be enough for Conte to keep his job, with club owner Roman Abramovich known for his ruthlessness in sacking underperforming managers.
Sarri has done a great job with Napoli over the years, and the manager is expected to take this Chelsea side back to the top. With that in mind, Sarri is going to have to trim the squad a bit, in order to raise the necessary funds required to bring in his transfer targets.
Here, we take a look at three players Chelsea can offload this summer.
During his final season with Monaco, Bakayoko was one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the Ligue 1. His all-action style earned him widespread praise from many around the world. Bakayoko was an engine in the middle of the park, often commanding the midfield with his presence and authority.
However, since joining Chelsea, Bakayoko has miserably failed to replicate that form. A player that was bossing the midfield in the Ligue 1, was all over the place in the Premier League. Fortunately, Bakayoko had N’Golo Kante to clean up after him. The former Leicester City midfielder’s superhuman abilities have kept Bakayoko’s mistakes in the dark.
Bakayoko endured the worst game of the season against Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-final, after the defender was taken off at half-time, only to be replaced by Cesc Fabregas who brought some sense of stability to the midfield.
Bakayoko was utterly poor throughout that game, running around the field cluelessly. He might be 6’2 but was only able to win 33% of the aerial duels with a 0% tackle success rate. With the likes of Kante around, Sarri certainly wouldn’t need the former Monaco player, who must be offloaded to bring in additional funds.
A lot was expected from the Spanish forward who joined the Blues last summer from Real Madrid. He enjoyed successful stints with Juventus and Real Madrid, making a name for himself in Europe before moving to Chelsea.
But once again, the intensity and demands of the Premier League proved to be too much for him. He started off on the right note but lost form as the season progressed. The former Real Madrid striker made a total 31 appearances in the league, scoring 11 goals and providing 6 assists.
Come to think of it, those aren’t the worst of numbers. But Morata’s attitude and work ethic have proven to be his downfall. The attacker was often seen falling too easily, fighting and complaining until the referee booked him for dissent. A minor injury mid-way through the season saw Morata sidelined for a while and the attacker failed to make an impact after returning from injury.
Sarri must sign some attacking players, meaning Morata should be shown the door.
The England midfielder was signed last year from Leicester after he made a name for himself in the league. He was quite influential for the Foxes in their title-winning campaign, displaying brilliant passing ability.
The 28-year-old was brought in to provide cover and competition for Cesc Fabregas, who is coming of age. Ironically, Drinkwater suffered an injury just after his arrival and it was Fabregas who covered for the former Leicester man.
Read More: Why this £155,000-a-week Chelsea star could be a great signing for Borussia Dortmund
Drinkwater made a total of 12 appearances last season, scoring just one goal and providing no assists in that time. Those are poor numbers from an attacking midfielder who is expected to pull the strings. Drinkwater also seems to be injury-prone, with the 28-year-old often in and out of the squad due to fitness issues.
He has shown no potential or growth since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, and Drinkwater must be the first one to be sold this summer.
