Chelsea struggling to sell five more players to reach final transfer goal

"Chelsea is actively looking to transfer five more players across Europe as they work towards achieving a balanced financial position by the end of the summer, aiming for a zero net spend."

Despite the Premier League transfer window closing on Friday, the Blues have continued to trim their bloated squad, confirming the sale of Brazilian winger Angelo Gabriel on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old joined Saudi side Al-Nassr for £19million – securing £6m profit for the Premier League side having only signed him from Santos for £13m last summer.

That deal has brought Chelsea’s outgoing transfer business to £189million having spend £208m on new arrivals with Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall among those arriving on permanent deals this summer.

They hope to reach zero net spend in the coming days with transfer windows in Turkey, Greece and Belgium still open.

The Evening Standard report Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Harvey Vale, Alex Matos and Deivid Washington could still be offloaded.

Chilwell is among those who were frozen out of the first-team by Enzo Maresca alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling and Trevoh Chalobah.

While those two managed to find a way out of the club, joining Arsenal and Crystal Palace respectively on loan. Chilwell will continue to train away from the first-team unless a move can be found.

The Blues would like to sell the former Leicester City left-back but a loan move is the more likely scenario with hope they can negotiate a deal with a Turkish club.

Fofana meanwhile has made just three appearances for Chelsea since joining from Molde in January 2023, spending the second-half of last season on loan at Burnley.

Like his countryman Angelo who left the club this week, Brazilian forward Washington could also move on after just a year at the club.  

Vale meanwhile was close to signing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in August only for the deal to fall through. The Saudi transfer window has now closed.

Chelsea’s biggest sales this summer include the deals that took Conor Gallagher (£35.6m) and Ian Maatsen (£38m) to Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa respectively with Romelu Lukaku finally cutting ties with the club to join Napoli for £28m.