The list of players Chelsea will keep and the list of those who will be released at the end of their contracts were both made public last week.

Some of the names on that list, if you will, were still in the middle. N’Golo Kante, a midfielder for Chelsea, simply had “contract” in brackets after his name, indicating that he had a contract offer on the table from Chelsea but hadn’t yet accepted it.

But now that everything has come to a close, N’Golo Kante HAS OFFICIALLY quit Chelsea and joined Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

The storied member of the Blues has a contract there through 2027 and will be introduced to Saudi Arabia in July.

Despite his extremely poor injury record, it will be a significant loss for Chelsea. He’s one of the best players in the world when he’s on his game, and the memories he’s made here will live on forever.

Good luck N’Golo, and thanks for the incredible memories and accomplishments we have here.

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Mauricio Pochettino prepared his dream £68m striker deal after Chelsea scheduling Nicolas Jackson medical

Chelsea have the tough task of reducing a bloated squad this summer and while they need to beat some players, Mauricio Pochettino remains keen to strengthen his options further.

As Chelsea begin preparing for the departure of N’Golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech and Kalidou Koulibaly, Olympique Lyonnais have reportedly opened a sale – and some diamonds in the rough are up for grabs.

Mauricio Pochettino has been tasked with the difficult task of bringing down a bloated side this summer and while he has some players to beat, the 51-year-old remains keen to bolster his options further.

The Blues have been heavily linked this summer with the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with Cristopher Nkunku expected to follow suit.

But now Pochettino has had the unique opportunity to invade one of France’s most formidable clubs.

Lyon were bought by an American investor named John Textor late last year, with the 57-year-old since he became club chairman.

And according to RMC Sport, Les Gones will have to raise £111million to avoid sanctions from the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion, the body which oversees the accounts of French football clubs.

Thiago Mendes

With Lyon desperate to raise funds, several players have been made available for transfers this summer, including Rayan Cherki, Thiago Mendes and Castello Lukeba.

The trio were regulars in the France first team last season and despite their impressive performances, they were available for much less than the market price.

According to L’Equipe, Chelsea tried to sign Lukeba last year but his £38million offer was rejected by Lyon. In a bid to force an exit this summer, the report says the 20-year-old defender was looking to switch agents in April – but it remains to be seen whether he was successful in changing agents.

As for Mendes, he would certainly provide plenty of cover in midfield while the Blues can still get their hands on Caicedo and Lavia, while Cherki scored four goals and six assists in 34 Ligue 1 games last season after being linked on a transfer. to Paris Saint-Germain in January.

With a few busy weeks ahead, Chelsea have already landed a deal for a Lyon star: Malo Gusto. After signing for the Blues in the final week of the January transfer window, he rejoined the French side on loan until the end of the season.

West Londoners reportedly paid around £26m, including add-ons, for the then 19-year-old right-back. Chelsea were to benefit significantly from Gusto’s reception at Stamford Bridge in the winter, with Reece James’ injury record becoming an issue.

But they could not agree on this as part of the deal. Pochettino will be delighted to team up with two of the most exciting young full-backs on his arrival at Cobham training ground on July 1 – and perhaps Gusto can take Cherki along…

Tiemoue Bakayoko’s departure from the club was confirmed by the Premier League on Friday, when Chelsea released and retained their list.

A number of Chelsea players’ futures are in doubt now that the transfer window is open. The Blues have a busy summer ahead of them and will need to make some cuts to their roster to make room for Mauricio Pochettino.

Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, and N’Golo Kante, who is nearing the end of his deal with the Blues, could all leave Chelsea’s midfield. The likes of Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are all players who could leave the team further up the field, and there’s even a chance that Edouard Mendy or Kepa Arrizabalaga, who plays in goal, could bid the team farewell. That is even before the annual formation of the loan army.

When asked if he would still be at Stamford Bridge after the summer, Kante responded, “We’ll see,” at the conclusion of his lap of honor on the final day of the season. Although the Frenchman’s future seems to be headed in that direction, it has not yet been confirmed with absolute certainty that he has packed up his belongings and is getting ready to move on.

On Friday afternoon, Chelsea did offer clarification on a few futures. 13 players whose contracts had expired were officially released by the team, including Tiemoue Bakayoko, whose loan with AC Milan had ended.

Dujon Sterling, whose transfer to Rangers has long since been announced, was on that list. This may imply that if a deal for Kante had been fully executed, he would be on Chelsea’s list of released players.

Instead, he was categorized with Chelsea’s retained team and reported as having received a contract offer. The seasoned midfielder’s contract extension with the team was long anticipated following a disappointing injury-plagued final season.

Currently, it doesn’t seem to be the case, and Chelsea is eager to strengthen their midfield, showing interest in players like Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Even though Kante hasn’t officially announced his departure, it seems somewhat inevitable.

The 32-year-old is not the only athlete trapped in a kind of purgatory; Malik Mothersille and Tudor Mendel-Idowu are also depicted in the same way. The two seem more likely to leave Cobham for greener pastures if contracts are not accepted, with the latter player reportedly thinking about continuing his education despite the exciting prospect.

Ethan Wady and Xavier Simons were mentioned as having received offers in the same press release from a year prior and ended up staying with the team. Wady, on the other hand, is this time around on the list of players who have been released, while Simons, who was a club loanee, finished the year by signing with Hull City.

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Mauricio Pochettino faces two difficult periods as Chelsea plays important Premier League games.

The 2023–24 Chelsea Premier League schedule has been revealed, and it features two dreadful matchups that will cause new manager Mauricio Pochettino nightmares as he juggles a bloated roster.

There is still much to learn from Chelsea’s schedule, even though the Premier League fixture list has been released. Of course, every team will play each other twice. Mauricio Pochettino may have the chance to gain some momentum as the Blues face a difficult test in Liverpool in their season opener.

Pochettino will see an opportunity with three of his first four games at home as the new Chelsea manager looks to start the season with a string of victories to rally his squad and fans. Following Liverpool, Chelsea will need to perform well in its August games against West Ham and Luton Town before hosting Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge in early September.

The Blues must show they can defeat opposition from the top half of the table if they hope to improve on last season’s 12th-place finish. During 2022–2023, they succeeded in doing so just once.

Pochettino won’t have to face a team from a Champions League spot until late October, but after that, things start to move quickly. Prior to welcoming Brentford to Stamford Bridge, the west London team will play Arsenal at home. Then, before Manchester City visits and a trip to Newcastle, Chelsea’s new manager will visit Tottenham once more before December officially starts with tasks for Brighton and Manchester United.

The Boxing Day games must be looked at because it’s impossible to read the schedule without doing so, and Chelsea has been given a home game for the occasion. Prior to the end of the year, they will play Crystal Palace away.

Come February, Chelsea will face a challenging stretch before the international break in March, setting the stage for a second nightmare stretch. When Premier League action resumes, Burnley will stand between Manchester United and Man City after a trip to Man City and a stretch of contests against Tottenham, Brentford, Newcastle, and Arsenal.

Chelsea might feel encouraged by the possibility of the season’s conclusion if there is still something to play for in the remaining weeks. On the final day of the season, Bournemouth will visit the Blues, giving them another important match at home. Prior to the match against the Cherries, Sheffield United, Everton, Brighton, Aston Villa, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest will all present difficulties but also present chances for a successful run.