Ruben Loftus-Cheek is on the verge of leaving Chelsea as the club has reached an agreement with AC Milan. The deal, which could rise to £18 million, will see the midfielder move to the San Siro on a permanent basis.
AC Milan will pay Chelsea £15 million upfront, with an additional £3 million in add-ons to be paid at a later date. Loftus-Cheek, who has 12 months remaining on his contract, was made available for transfer by Chelsea as he was not considered part of their future plans.
Loftus-Cheek is just one of several players who could be leaving Chelsea soon. The club is looking to offload unwanted players, whether they have one or two years left on their contracts.
Hakim Ziyech, for instance, is close to joining Al-Nassr to team up with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ziyech has struggled to meet Chelsea’s expectations since joining from Ajax in 2020.
The 30-year-old winger, who wanted to leave in the January transfer window, is expected to fetch around £12 million for the Blues.
Another player potentially heading to Saudi Arabia is goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. After a poor start to the 2022/23 season, the 31-year-old lost his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga and made only ten Premier League appearances.
With two years remaining on Mendy’s contract, Chelsea is willing to sell him to Al-Ahli for an estimated £16 million.
Additionally, if an appropriate offer comes in for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea would be open to his departure, provided they have a replacement lined up.
In other news, Kai Havertz is on the verge of joining Arsenal in a deal worth up to £60 million, with potential add-ons taking it to £65 million.
The German international has already undergone a medical and was convinced to join Arsenal by Mikel Arteta.
Collectively, the departures of these four players are expected to generate over £100 million for Chelsea.
These funds will help the club balance their books and kickstart their transfer activities.
One of Chelsea’s primary midfield targets this summer is Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
Personal terms have reportedly been agreed upon, but Chelsea and Brighton have yet to reach an agreement on a transfer fee. Brighton is said to be demanding around £80 million, which Chelsea is hesitant to pay in full upfront.
Negotiations with Brighton are expected to be challenging, but once some of the unwanted players are sold, Chelsea’s approach to the transfer market may change significantly.
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