Raheem Sterling and 8 Other Chelsea Players Deleted from Official Club Website
- Chelsea have taken down nine players from their official website amid ongoing uncertainties about their future
- The World Champions are looking to trim down their squad to make new signings before the start of the new campaign
- Enzo Maresca's side recently signed defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax and are pushing to add another forward as well
Don't miss out! Join Tuko.co.ke Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Chelsea have taken the unusual step of removing the profiles of nine players who are still at the club from their website.
Source: Getty Images
The Blues have been very busy in the transfer window with many players leaving the club either permanently or on loan, but more is still expected.
Enzo Maresca's side resumed training on Monday, August 4, ahead of the next season.
The club had a delayed start to preseason following their extended summer, which saw them win the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final on July 13 with Cole Palmer bagging a brace and an assist at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
They will now have a short time to get ready for the new season, which for them kicks off on August 17 at home to last season's FA Cup champions, Crystal Palace.
However, not every player at the club will train with Maresca's preferred players as the club looks to move them on this summer.
Which players have been deleted from Chelsea's website?
It has now emerged that the players have had their profiles removed from the club's website, as confirmed by a spot check by TUKO.co.ke.
Top of the list is Raheem Sterling, who was on loan at Arsenal last season. Maresca publicly stated that the former Manchester City winger was not the kind of winger he likes.
Ben Chilwell, who played an integral role in their Champions League-winning season in 2021, has also been removed from the club's website.
Others include Lesley Ugochukwu and Armando Broja, who are a heartbeat away from sealing permanent moves to newly-promoted Burnley.
Axel Disasi, Carney Chuwuemeka, Renato Veiga and David Datro Fofana have also been removed. Veiga had a decent loan spell at Juventus, and talks are underway for a potential permanent move to Atletico Madrid.
Academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist's profile has also been deleted. The defender had a breakout season under Mauricio Pochettino, but has now been deemed surplus to requirements.
Interestingly, Mykhailo Mudryk, who is currently serving a doping ban, still has his profile up.
The Ukrainian international, however, has no number attached to his profile as his number 10 was given to Palmer before the Club World Cup.
Source: UGC
Which players have left Chelsea?
As the club continues to look for solutions for the 'deleted' players, others have already left or are on the verge of leaving.
As already mentioned, Ugochukwu and Broja are on the verge of signing for Burnley.
"Lesley Ugochukwu, authorised for medical at Burnley after a permanent deal was agreed with Chelsea. Both Armando Broja and Ugochuwku sign on permanent deals, contracts to be signed and sealed this week. Here we go," said transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), and Djordje Petrovic (Bournemouth) have already left on permanent deals, while Mathis Amougou, Mike Penders and Kendry Paez have joined the club's sister club on loan.
Who else are Chelsea looking to sign?
After the summer arrivals of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Darrio Essugo, Jorrel Hato and Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian, the club is not done yet.
The Blues are likely to add one more winger, with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho names repeatedly mentioned.
Both clubs are keen on joining with Garnacho, facing a more bleak future after he was kicked out by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
Why Chelsea players could be banned
Apart from trimming the bloated squad, Chelsea also needs to raise a substantial amount of money to avoid player bans in the Champions League.
The club was recently fined by UEFA for flouting financial regulations. As a consequence, they have been barred from signing new players for next season's Champions League unless they have a positive bank balance at the end of the transfer window.
The millions that came with winning the Club World Cup will surely go a long way in helping them achieve that target.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
