Keep or sell? The 11 Chelsea outcasts whose futures need clarifying before the transfer window closes

Remember him? Once a blockbuster £72m ($94m) signing from Athletic Club, Kepa could hardly be further out of the picture at Stamford Bridge six years later. A loan to Real Madrid - who needed cover for the injured Thibaut Courtois last season - somehow did not prove to be the jumpstart his career needed as he lost his place in the team to Andriy Lunin.

With the transfer window winding down, Kepa finds himself stuck in limbo in exile at Chelsea. The Blues aren't exactly blessed with a wealth of quality goalkeepers, but his race is run. They will surely be desperate to recoup anything they can get for the 29-year-old.

Verdict: Sell

When Chelsea signed Cesare Casadei from Inter's academy in 2022 in a costly £13m ($17m) transfer, it was considered a huge coup, with the midfielder viewed as a potential superstar. However, he has probably not developed as the club would have hoped, having had unspectacular loan spells in the Championship with Reading and, most recently, Leicester City.

The Blues are already overstocked for midfielders, so it's difficult to see Casadei getting the game time to build up the kind of form to command a starting place. Another youngster on whom they may have to cut their losses, although a final loan may make sense beforehand.

Verdict: Loan

Chelsea's treatment of academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah has been nothing short of shameful. Despite being one of their most consistent performers in the second half of last season, he was left out of the pre-season tour and has been exiled from the first team as the club try to force him out.

As much as the fanbase would love him to stay - especially with the dearth of outstanding quality at centre-back - it feels as though there is no way back for him at Stamford Bridge and, in truth, he deserves far better. That said, in an ideal fantasy world, Chalobah would be kept, with another of their underperforming central defenders sold off instead.

Verdict: Keep

One of the club's longest-serving players, Ben Chilwell's Chelsea career appears set for a sad end as the hierarchy take the risk of backing the manager in his assertion that the defender does not fit his system. Speaking recently, Maresca brutally admitted: "With Chilly [Chilwell] it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position. I need to make a decision and probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes."

The England international's fitness record certainly counts against him, as do his wages amid the club's newly-defined structure, but the Blues' decision-makers should be cautious about letting go of what little experience remains within the squad. However, Maresca's mind is seemingly already made up, and given Chilwell is prone to injury, it would perhaps be best to shift his salary.

Verdict: Sell

One of many members of the Chelsea squad to have had very little luck with his fitness, Carney Chukwuemeka finds himself of the fringes of the first team as the season gets under way. His pathway is pretty much blocked as it stands with the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ahead of him, but at 20 years old he is at a crucial point in his development where he needs regular minutes.

Chukwuemeka was left out of the squad for the opening league defeat to Man City, with Maresca saying: "The problem is, because of some injuries in the past, I think the best for him is to play 30 or 35 games in a row. With us, is he going to play 35 games? I’m not sure." A Premier League loan at a club that can give him that platform would therefore make the most sense at this stage, with Crystal Palace and Barcelona among those to be linked with the midfielder.

Verdict: Loan

One of many signings in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era that has proven to be a misstep, David Datro Fofana is unlikely to be the answer in Chelsea's search for a consistent No.9. The striker enjoyed a fairly productive loan at Burnley in the second half of last season, but the Clarets were doomed for relegation before he arrived.

The Blues are still in the market for a new frontman, namely Osimhen, and Nicolas Jackson is almost certain to be the man to play back-up if they pull that deal off. Elsewhere, they have plenty of attacking players capable of playing centrally. One final loan is possible, but it's probably the moment to call time.

Verdict: Sell

Chelsea have continued to stockpile wide attackers this summer, which has pushed forgotten man Angelo Gabriel right to the periphery despite the fact he only joined the club last summer for a steep £13m fee from Santos.

Although he enjoyed a half-decent loan at Strasbourg last season, Felix's imminent arrival only pushes him further down the pecking order. Then, of course, there is the small matter of prodigious youngsters Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez joining in 2025. It's probably best if the 19-year-old tries his luck elsewhere in what will be an example of Chelsea buying and selling off young talent on a whim.

Verdict: Sell

Noni Madueke has only gotten better since joining the club in their frenzied spending spree in January 2023. The winger emerged as a key player in Chelsea's strong finish to last season, but the Blues' transfer business has raised unexpected questions over his future and he was left on the bench for the league opener against Man City, with Newcastle supposedly interested.

Chelsea's decision-makers have made it clear that almost everyone is expendable and no-one is safe if there is profit to be made, but they would foolish to let go of Madueke just as he is starting to show his potential and take responsibility. Whether the player feels the same way remains to be seen, as he faces fierce competition in the wide areas.

Verdict: Keep

Another player who will be affected by Chelsea's summer business is Mykhailo Mudryk. Despite some bright moments, the £88.5m ($115m) winger continued to toil in his first full season in English football and there will be growing concerns that he is never going to cut as he looks bereft of confidence more often than not.

The Ukrainian hasn't been linked with an exit yet, but that could change very quickly once Felix's arrival is confirmed - especially after the west Londoners spent big on another man who occupies exactly the same position in Neto. The Blues won't want to cut their losses on Mudryk yet - a player who looked like he had world-class potential at Shakhtar Donetsk - but a loan at a decent-level European club might be for the best given the competition for places.

Verdict: Loan

What a bizarre summer it's been for goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who's gone from being Chelsea's first choice under Mauricio Pochettino to surplus to requirements altogether under Maresca. Robert Sanchez is back as No.1 after missing a huge chunk of last season, while Filip Jorgensen has been signed from Villarreal to compete with the Spaniard.

All of that leaves Petrovic out in the cold just a year after he signed, and there already seems to be no way back for him at Stamford Bridge. Once again, his treatment has been questionable, but it seems it would be best for all parties to part ways as there is little point in having three goalkeepers competing for once place in the team.

Verdict: Sell

The latest player Chelsea seem determined to try to force out of the club using somewhat underhand tactics, Raheem Sterling is clearly prepared to fight his corner. Left out of the matchday squad for the City defeat, the winger and his camp released a bullish statement demanding clarity on his place in Maresca's plans as soon as the team sheet became available an hour or so before kick-off.

Sterling, however, is at a disadvantage, with the hierarchy reportedly supporting the head coach's "technical decision" to leave him out despite using him regularly in pre-season. The 29-year-old's reported £325,000-per-week wages are a major stumbling block to a sale and he doesn't want to leave amid the raft of arrivals in his position, so now risks being frozen out after he spoke out.

This a complex situation, but the England international has always been fighting something of an uphill battle at Stamford Bridge, never quite hitting the heights he did at Man City, and given the situation he may be best served cutting ties. The big question is where Sterling would go next.

Verdict: Sell