90min

Kepa, Antonio Rudiger & Jorginho Among 10 Players Chelsea Are Open to Selling

By Will Day

Frank Lampard is keen to bring in new faces at Chelsea.
Frank Lampard is keen to bring in new faces at Chelsea. / Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
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Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for as many as ten first team players, as Frank Lampard looks to fund a substantial overhaul of his playing squad.

The Blues have enjoyed a relatively successful first campaign under Lampard, reaching the FA Cup final and qualifying for next season's Champions League after securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Jorginho has struggled for consistency since Maurizio Sarri's departure.
Jorginho has struggled for consistency since Maurizio Sarri's departure. / Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images

But despite those positives, Lampard will be the first to admit that his team have not been good enough defensively. In the Premier League alone, Chelsea conceded 54 goals and were bailed out by their free-flowing attack - who scored the third highest number of goals.

Now, Sky Sports report that Lampard is willing to part company with up to ten first-team players this summer - with nine of those players operating in defensive minded positions.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Jorginho, Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christiansen are the highest profile names who will be allowed to leave if a suitable offer comes in, while Emerson Palmieri and Michy Batshuayi are also expendable.

Danny Drinkwater, Victor Moses, Tiemoue Bakayoko are the other three players who will be allowed to leave, after each of them spent time away from the club last season out on loan.

The Blues have been very active in the transfer market so far this summer, adding superstar striker Timo Werner to their ranks, as well as Ajax's Hakim Ziyech. Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz is expected to follow the pair to Stamford Bridge, but any further signings will need to be funded by player sales.

One player who could raise significant funds if Chelsea were able to recoup a fee similar to what they originally paid is goalkeeper Kepa. The Blues forked out £71.6m two years ago, but the Spaniard has struggled throughout his time at the club - keeping just eight clean sheets this season, also recording one of the lowest save percentages in the league at just 53.9%.

Jan Oblak and Andre Onana have been tipped as possible replacements, and the club continue to be linked with Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell, as well as Real Madrid's Sergio Reguilon, who excelled on loan at Sevilla last season.