Chelsea are in a familiar situation with a large squad of 41 senior players, and only 25 days remain in the transfer window to address this. New manager Xabi Alonso is reportedly keen to significantly reduce the squad, with a number of players available for sale or loan, especially as the club has no European football this season.
To achieve a more manageable 25-man senior squad, Chelsea would need to offload 16 players by the start of September. This is increasingly important as FIFA has outlawed the practice of having players stranded in a 'bomb squad', a situation Chelsea experienced last season with Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.
Currently, five players are not training with the first team: Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Marc Guiu, David Datro Fofana, and Caleb Wiley. All are available for permanent or loan moves. Defender Trevoh Chalobah is reportedly close to joining Como for £31m, including add-ons, while goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is joining sister club Strasbourg on loan.
Chelsea's squad size was evident during their recent Asian tour, where they had 21 substitutes for their 1-0 defeat by Juventus in Hong Kong, with only five being academy players. The club is also bound by a UEFA settlement agreement for three more seasons.