How new Chelsea transfer signings pose a Champions League squad dilemma for Todd Boehly's Blues

Chelsea are undergoing a massive squad overhaul since the beginning of the Todd Boehly era.

After spending in excess of €250 million on eight new signings in the summer, new additions continue to make their way into the Blues' squad in the January window.

While Chelsea are struggling in the Premier League, placed 10th on the table, and have been eliminated from the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, they comfortably reached the Champions League knockout stage after topping their group.

With the Round of 16 set to kick off on February 14, Graham Potter will have to reshuffle his roster and make space for some of the new arrivals in order to strengthen the squad for the continental competition.

How many January signings can be included in Chelsea's Champions League for the knockout stage? GOAL finds out.

Chelsea's registered Champions League squad for the 2022/23 season

Chelsea registered 24 players in their Champions League 'List A' squad for the 2022/23 season which includes nine 'homegrown players'

A team can register a maximum of 25 players in their 'List A' squad and an unlimited number of players in 'List B' provided they are born on or after January 1, 2001.

*Players from 'List B' who have been part of Chelsea's matchday squads during the group stage.

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Who are the homegrown players in Chelsea's Champions League squad?

In 'List A', nine members are 'homegrown' or 'locally trained players'. Out of the nine homegrown players, Chelsea have registered five who are 'club trained' and four who are 'association trained'.

A minimum eight places in the 25-member squad have to be reserved for homegrown players out of which not more than four can be "association-trained players" and the rest must be "club-trained".

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Which players have Chelsea signed in the January transfer window?

Enzo Fernandez took the Blues' tally to eight signings for the winter window, breaking the British transfer record with an exorbitant £106.8m fee agreed on deadline day.

Lyon full-back Malo Gusto became the Blues' seventh signing in a £26m ($32m) deal, but he immediately rejoined the Ligue 1 side on loan for the remainder of the season, meaning he poses no threat to Potter's Champions League selection.

Noni Madueke was the sixth player to join the Chelsea squad in the January transfer window, after he joined the club from PSV Eindhoven for €30.5m on January 21.

Behind Fernandez, the second most expensive signing in the Boehly era also happened in the ongoing window, as Mykhailo Mudryk joined the Blues from Shakhtar Donetsk for €70m.

Which Chelsea player could be swapped out to make way for January signings?

Uefa allows a club to register a maximum of three, new eligible players before the knockout rounds, but the club must communicate the decision by February 2. This deadline cannot be extended.

So despite signing seven new players in the January window, Graham Potter can only select three names out of the new arrivals and add them to the squad, replacing the same number of players from the existing squad.

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With Christian Pulisic, N'Golo Kante and Denis Zakaria currently out of the squad on long-term injuries, Potter may consider replacing them with Joao Felix, Mudryk and Madueke.

The Blues have enough in the backline which means they will not be needing Benoit Badieshile for the continental competition. Felix will be a quality addition upfront which has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz. With Raheem Sterling still nursing an injury and Pulisic out, new wingers Mudryk and Madueke will perfectly fit into the squad, while record signing Fernandez will be pushing for a way in too.