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All-change Chelsea: 5 players on their way out of Stamford Bridge

Will Matic and Batshuayi start the procession out of Chelsea?
Will Matic and Batshuayi start the procession out of Chelsea?

Despite defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup final, Chelsea, as Premier League champions by a comfortable margin, can be proud of their efforts this season.

However, their domestic rivals will not be standing still this summer, with Manchester City already setting down a marker with the capture of Bernardo Silva from Monaco while closing in on a deal for highly-rated Benfica goalkeeper Ederson.

The Blues must continue to reinforce their squad this summer to stay ahead of the chasing pack, and that will mean shipping out some players to make way for the newcomers.

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John Terry’s departure from Stamford Bridge has already been confirmed, and our friends at Football Whispers have picked out five more Chelsea players who might have played their last game for the club.

Diego Costa

Few players were as integral to Chelsea’s title win this season as top scorer Diego Costa. The Brazil-born Spain international netted 22 goals in 42 games for Chelsea in all competitions this season and was at his brilliant, battering-ram best at the point of the attack in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system.

But the 28-year-old, who reportedly had a training ground bust-up with the Italian manager over a failed January switch to the Chinese Super League, looks set to leave the Premier League champions this summer.

Former club Atlético Madrid are believed to hold an interest in taking Costa back to La Liga, but a move to China, and all the riches that come with it, appears to be the most likely outcome.

Nemanja Matić

One of the key positions Conte will reportedly look to strengthen is central midfield, as he seeks the ideal partner for PFA Players’ Player of the Year N’Golo Kanté.

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Nemanja Matić partnered the French midfield dynamo for most of last season, starting 30 and coming off the bench in another five of the Blues’ 38 league games.

With Monaco defensive midfielder Tiemoué Bakayoko rumoured to be Chelsea’s top summer target, it seems as though Matić, despite an impressive season, could be surplus to requirements.

After a disappointing 2015/16, Matić was linked with a move to Juventus last summer. Serie A could again be a possible destination for the 28-year-old, although Manchester United manager José Mourinho believed to be keen to sign the player once again.

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Willian

The stellar form of Pedro and Eden Hazard in the wide attacking positions restricted Brazilian winger Willian to just 15 Premier League starts in 2016/17.

The 28-year-old was arguably Chelsea’s best performer the season before, starting 32 times and bagging five goals and six assists.

Willian is highly-sought after but has spent the season in and out of the team
Willian is highly-sought after but has spent the season in and out of the team

The eight goals and two assists he racked up last term show that, even with Pedro and Hazard higher up the pecking order, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man is still a top performer.

But Willian will rightly feel that he is more than good enough to be starting regularly, and may seek a move in order to ensure that he is able to do so next season. As with Matić, former Chelsea boss Mourinho is thought to be monitoring the situation.

Cesc Fàbregas

Playmaker Cesc Fàbregas started just 13 league games for the Blues in 2016/17, but still managed a remarkable return of 12 assists. Only Kevin De Bruyne (18), Christian Eriksen (15) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (13) set up more goals than the 30-year-old Spaniard, although his average of providing an assist every 110.67 minutes could not be matched.

This goes to show that, even though he wasn’t a regular starter, the former Arsenal and Barcelona man played a key role in Chelsea’s title triumph.

However, having made the fewest league starts of his career since breaking into the Gunners’ first team in 2004, Fàbregas is likely to seek regular playing time away from Stamford Bridge.

Cesc Fabregas might was to leave Chelsea rather than be a bit part player under Antonio Conte
Cesc Fabregas might was to leave Chelsea rather than be a bit part player under Antonio Conte

Michy Batshuayi

With four goals in his last three Premier League appearances, including a title-clinching winner away to West Bromwich Albion, Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi showed that he is capable of making decisive contributions despite being underutilised last season.

A £30million summer signing from Marseille last summer, hopes were high for the 23-year-old who was coming off a breakout season in Ligue 1. However, Conte never seemed to fully trust Batshuayi to lead the line, allowing him just one league start all season, with his total Premier League game time totalling a miserly 239 minutes.

No Chelsea player could match Batshuayi for productivity in front of goal with the little time he was afforded, averaging a staggering 1.9 goals per 90 minutes. But it seems as though, with the Blues tracking the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Álvaro Morata, Batshuayi could find himself surplus to requirements.

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