Chelsea's Summer Transfer Madness: 39 Players Out

Chelsea has had a busy summer transfer window. This time, they did not just buy players but also let go of many.

The Blues spent about £349 million on 11 new players. Some of the new faces include Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, and Emiliano Martinez. At the same time, they moved 39 players out of the club through sales and loans.

A BBC Sport report on Thursday highlights that this big change in player management started after Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club in May 2022.

Who Left Chelsea?

This summer, Chelsea sold 17 players for good. They also sent 22 players out on loan. Notable departures include Enzo Fernandez, who moved to Manchester City for £125 million, making it a British transfer record. Nicolas Jackson joined Aston Villa for £65 million, while Marc Cucurella went to Real Madrid for £51.8 million.

Liam Delap and Andrey Santos were also part of deals that were about £50 million each. Some of the loan deals could bring in a lot more money later. Mykhailo Mudryk’s loan to Tottenham has a £75 million option to buy. Alejandro Garnacho’s move to Aston Villa includes an obligation reportedly worth £43 million.

Four out of the 22 loans have options or obligations that could earn Chelsea more than £140 million in extra fees.

How Much Did Chelsea Make?

Chelsea believes they made over £500 million from player departures this summer, including loan fees. This amount would set a world record for player trading in one transfer window.

BBC Sport’s analysis, using data from FootballTransfers.com founder Paul Macdonald, estimates Chelsea’s confirmed outgoings at £382 million. This number does not include potential fees from loans or future payments based on player performances.

Chelsea figures show they made about £120 million in profit from their transfers.

A Remarkable Clear-Out

The 39 players who left do not count four young players released by the club. Even with so many players gone, Chelsea’s website still lists around 30 first-team players.

This shows how big Chelsea's squad has been since the change in ownership. They continue to buy players but are also getting serious about selling and making money from their squad.

Chelsea had five permanent sales that were worth over £40 million this summer. When you add the two major loan deals with Mudryk and Garnacho, seven transactions topped £40 million in total.

In comparison, Serie A had four transfers above £40 million all summer, while La Liga and the Bundesliga had two and four respectively.

This summer has been one of a kind in European football. Chelsea spent £349 million on new players while letting 39 players go and potentially earning over £500 million from those departures.

No matter what the final figures are once all the future payments and loan deals are settled, Chelsea’s summer has turned out to be one of the most astonishing examples of player trading in modern football.