Chelsea squad audit: Time to cash in on Enzo Fernandez? What next for Liam Delap?

Part of the rationale for Xabi Alonso’s appointment at Chelsea is that his style of play does not require a full squad overhaul — but that does not mean it will be a quiet summer.

They are not in the same position as last summer, with a ‘bomb squad’ of unwanted players to clear out, but not everyone on their books can expect meaningful minutes next year. There are 29 senior players listed in the first-team squad on the club website, plus several who are on loan or have signed pre-agreements to join this summer. Nobody is out of contract, so any exits are dependent on finding an interested party.

So who is best placed for a significant role under Alonso, and who might be better served by a loan or permanent exit? The Athletic looks at the options in each position.

Why getting Alonso is a 'big coup' for Chelsea

Liam Twomey

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Goalkeepers

After opting against pursuing a deal for Mike Maignan last summer, Chelsea have stuck with Robert Sanchez as No 1 — bar a brief spell where Filip Jorgensen usurped him in March. Sanchez has not been immune to errors, but his shot-stopping has been key to Chelsea and Liam Rosenior’s exit relieves some of the questions about his ability on the ball. At a time when the team needs stability, keeping him as first-choice goalkeeper feels a less risky option than going into the market.

Mike Penders’ impending arrival after his loan at Strasbourg has implications for the rest of the goalkeeping department. If Chelsea want the 20-year-old to begin integrating into the squad as Sanchez’s deputy, it might be wiser for Jorgensen — who had a horrible moment against PSG, but has overall improved across the season — to move on. Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who gained experience on loan at Bolton Wanderers in the first half of the season, would appear to be next in the pecking order ahead of Gaga Slonina.

Keep: Sanchez, Penders, Sharman-Lowe
Sell: Jorgensen
Loan: Slonina

Centre-backs

Having a fully fit Levi Colwill after he missed the vast majority of the season through an anterior cruciate ligament injury will be as good as a new signing. Colwill will be the linchpin at centre-back — the question is how many potential partners and deputies he needs. Chelsea are due to have nine centre-backs, not including the possibility of any new signings, so this is an obvious department for a clear-out.

Trevoh Chalobah, having made an impressive recovery from the bomb squad to start 31 Premier League games this season, has surely secured his future. Tosin Adarabioyo seems valued as a leadership figure, though he can probably expect even fewer minutes with Colwill back. Chelsea will surely want to keep academy graduate Josh Acheampong, who is popular with fans and will want a greater role next season.

Leiv Colwill will be crucial to Alonso’s defenceClive Rose/Getty Images

Mamadou Sarr, 20, and Aaron Anselmino, 21, both spent much of this season developing on loan (in Sarr’s case, this was cut short to return to Chelsea midway through the season, where he has had a limited role). The natural next step is to integrate into the first team as squad players.

Wesley Fofana is an interesting case. He has featured heavily for Chelsea this season but his performances have not been as consistent as team-mates like Chalobah and, given Colwill’s return, it would not be surprising to see his involvement decline. Benoit Badiashile’s injury record casts serious doubt on his reliability and he has not always impressed when available. His stock at Chelsea is low, though, and finding a buyer could be a challenge. The most obvious exit candidate is Axel Disasi, who Chelsea will hope to move on permanently after a successful loan at West Ham United.

Keep: Colwill, Chalobah, Acheampong, Tosin, Anselmino, Sarr
Sell: Fofana, Badiashile, Disasi

Full-backs

This department is far leaner. The only debate over Reece James is whether his role under Alonso will be in midfield or at right-back. Malo Gusto is his clear deputy, with Acheampong or Sarr also able to slide out to right-back.

The Athletic has reported that Geovany Quenda, who will arrive from Sporting CP this summer, is earmarked for a role as a winger rather than wing-back at Chelsea — but it feels possible Alonso’s arrival could change that if he does opt to use wing-backs as he did at Bayer Leverkusen.

Jorrel Hato has blossomed in the last few months and is establishing himself as a capable deputy to Marc Cucurella at left-back, with the versatility to help as a left-sided centre-back.

This is not an area where Chelsea can afford too many exits without high-quality replacements, particularly given the importance of attacking full-backs in Alonso’s football. It could be the incoming manager wants to shift James to midfield, which puts less strain on his injury-prone body, and add a more experienced specialist wing-back.

Keep: Cucurella, Hato, James, Gusto, Quenda.

Midfield

Enzo Fernandez’s future, despite having his best season in front of goal for the club, is the biggest question mark in Chelsea’s squad. The Argentina international was dropped for two games in April over comments made to the media, and his agent confirmed to The Athletic that the player intended to “explore other options” if an agreement on a new contract cannot be reached with Chelsea after the World Cup.

Fernandez has been crucial to Chelsea’s build-up and goal threat, and still has six years remaining on his contract. But Chelsea also want to add more maturity and leadership to their squad and, in that sense, Fernandez’s disciplinary record and his decision to air some of his complaints in public could count against him.

Chelsea are targeting at least two starting-calibre signings this summer; recouping a healthy amount of the then-British record transfer fee they paid for Fernandez in 2023 would certainly help them in the market. The important caveat is that one of those signings would have to be a midfielder who can replace Fernandez, but that would be a good position to introduce a new leader in the squad.

In defensive midfield, Moises Caicedo has recommitted to Chelsea with a new long-term deal, and Andrey Santos has impressed in a deeper role in his first season at the club, arguably moving ahead of Romeo Lavia in the pecking order. With James as an additional option, Chelsea have enough holding midfielders for Alonso’s usual box midfield.

Dario Essugo spent the vast majority of his first season at Chelsea recovering from a thigh injury but the handful of minutes he has played span a few different midfield roles, suggesting the club will view him as a useful cover player to keep around the squad.

Cole Palmer will be the first pick for a central attacking-midfield role, which Fernandez could also fulfil if he stays at the club. Estevao has impressed as an out-and-out winger this season, but sees himself as a No 10 too. If Alonso wants to implement the tactics he used at Leverkusen at Chelsea, saddling Estevao with the defensive responsibilities of a wing-back feels like a waste of his talent, so a partnership with Palmer behind the striker could be the best solution.

Keep: Caicedo, Santos, Lavia, Palmer, Essugo, Estevao

Sell: Fernandez

Wingers

If Alonso wants to employ a back three and wing-backs in the way he did at Bayer Leverkusen, that is not ideal for several players.

When Manchester United used wing-backs under Ruben Amorim, Alejandro Garnacho was generally preferred for an inside-forward role, but it is tricky to see him displacing Chelsea team-mates there. Jamie Gittens, too, is a straightforward winger and has had a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge, struggling for a place due to form and often fitness. Neither of the two summer 2025 signings have made much of an impression.

It is hard to predict whether any of these players will need to make way without knowing how Alonso plans to use his squad. Gittens arguably deserves more of a chance, without injury, to make his case. Garnacho has had far more opportunities and failed to make an impact. It is worth seeing how he fares in whatever system Alonso opts for. Pedro Neto’s availability and versatility make him an important player.

Jesse Derry, who joined Chelsea from Crystal Palace’s academy last summer and has predominantly featured for the youth teams, is on the periphery of first-team football. A spate of injuries presented him with the opportunity for a Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest earlier in May, which was cut short by a nasty head injury. Chelsea clearly see a path into the first team for the 18-year-old.

Tyrique George, after a more prominent role at the beginning of the campaign, has spent his 2026 on loan at Everton and has featured consistently from the bench — but without scoring in his 10 league appearances. Chelsea have enough wide talent and, if a permanent move can be found, it would represent pure profit as he is an academy graduate.

Finally, Mykhailo Mudryk is currently appealing a ban for doping at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Keep: Neto, Gittens, Garnacho, Derry
Sell: George

Strikers

Joao Pedro has been Chelsea’s best signing of the season and, though he has shown the versatility to play as a No 10, has firmly staked his claim as a starting striker. The question is over his backups.

The first half of Liam Delap’s season was derailed by injury, but he has now had ample time to show what he can do and is yet to convince. He has failed to score in his past 25 appearances. A couple of brief injuries to Joao Pedro afforded him Premier League starts against Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur in the past month and he has not shown much in those opportunities.

Emanuel Emegha will join from Strasbourg, and Nicolas Jackson is due to return from his loan at Bayern Munich. Marc Guiu remains on the books. Chelsea do not need four backup centre-forwards; someone needs to make way.

A loan for Guiu — which was the plan before he was recalled following Delap’s hamstring injury at the beginning of this season — feels sensible to allow the 20-year-old some playing time. Emegha’s injury issues this season at Strasbourg stir doubt over how quickly he can adapt to the load of the Premier League, but the timing feels right to integrate him into the squad.

If Chelsea are willing to reintegrate Jackson, he is already familiar with others in the squad and would be their most reliable backup to Joao Pedro. He scored eight goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances — only 12 of which were starts — which is a far more productive record than Delap. The challenge is whether Chelsea would want to reintegrate him: if they can sell him, his value will presumably have been boosted by this season’s loan.

Retaining either Delap or Jackson and selling the other feels the best solution. Finding a buyer, particularly for Delap, is difficult, given the high valuations Chelsea would presumably attach to both.

Keep: Joao Pedro, Emegha, Jackson/Delap
Sell: Jackson/Delap
Loan: Guiu