Declan Rice in, Jorginho out: Five players Chelsea should sign and sell this summer

Premier League club set for a busy summer now the new owners are in place

FIVE CHELSEA SALES: Kepa Arrizabalaga - The Spanish goalkeeper had his best season for Chelsea but is nowhere near the level of No 1 Edouard Mendy. It's time for the club to cut their losses on the world record £72m paid for Kepa and his monstrous £150,000 wages. No second-choice keeper should be earning that to warm the bench. Reuters

Marcos Alonso - Proved again to be the man for important goals and is arguably Chelsea's best finisher, but his defensive abilities have regressed further and once Ben Chilwell is back fully fit for next season, game time will become increasingly limited for a player approaching his 32nd birthday. A fine servant for six seasons but now it's time to part ways. AFP

Ross Barkley - His final Chelsea contribution may prove to be the winning goal against Watford on the last day of the season. Barkley is clearly not part of Thomas Tuchel's plans and is struggling to justify his £90,000 per week salary. Still only 28 and a proven Premier League player, there should be some decent offers for the midfielder this summer. Getty

Christian Pulisic - Having finished the 2020/21 season with a bang, few could have predicted how the most recent campaign would unfold for the American winger. Injuries and struggles with form saw Pulisic slide down the Chelsea pecking order and a tempting offer from a big club could see the 23-year-old depart Stamford Bridge. Getty

Jorginho - This may sound unkind but of all Chelsea's senior centre midfielders, Jorginho is the one who could most easily be replaced. With one year left on his contract and Conor Gallagher returning from his successful loan spell at Crystal Palace, this summer feels the right time for the 30-year-old Italian to move on. AP

FIVE CHELSEA SIGNINGS: Jules Kounde - The Sevilla defender was reportedly close to joining Chelsea last summer and the club are expected to revive their interest. The Blues are in desperate need of central defenders and Kounde is thought to be a top target. Young, athletic, and good on the ball, the 23-year-old Frenchman fits the profile of a Tuchel centre-back. Getty

Alessio Romagnoli - With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen both leaving (and potentially Cesar Azpilicueta), Chelsea are in need of more than one centre-back this summer. Romagnoli, 27, has just led AC Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years but is available on a free transfer having yet to agree new terms. The Italian would provide experience and proven quality to the Chelsea back line. EPA

Ousmane Dembele - Barcelona may have spent the better part of the past year trying to force Dembele out of the club but the French winger became one of their best players under Xavi. Despite his growing importance, he still looks set to leave the club and Chelsea would be wise to offer him a new home. Dembele, 25, is one of the most exciting attacking players in world football and would offer Chelsea pace and trickery on the wings. AFP

Marc Cucurella - If Chelsea are looking for an upgraded replacement for Alonso, then they should look no further than Brighton's Cucurella. The 23-year-old Spaniard enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League and is both strong in defence and attack. Cucurella is also one of those fully committed players fans are quick to embrace. AFP

Declan Rice - The dream signing of most Chelsea fans, even if West Ham are expected to dig in their heels. Rice was superb this past season, elevating his game to another level, and the England midfielder is destined to play for a club chasing major trophies. If there had been concerns over how Chelsea might one day replace N'Golo Kante, Rice would ease those fears immediately. Getty

A new era at Chelsea is underway after a consortium led by Todd Boehly officially completed its takeover of the Premier League club on Monday, ending 19 trophy-laden years under the ownership of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

While the new owners are expected to take a more measured approach to transfer business than the strategy which defined much of Abramovich's tenure, a busy summer is in store at Stamford Bridge.

Blues manager Thomas Tuchel has delayed his summer holiday after admitting "there is a lot of work to do" to rebuild a squad that is losing at least two first-team players. The sanctions imposed on Chelsea by the UK government, related to Abramovich's alleged links to Russian President Vladamir Putin, has meant the club have until now been unable to act in the transfer market, nor offer current players new contracts.

With those sanctions lifted and the new owners in place, there is little time to waste for Chelsea to shape a squad the new owners will hope can be competitive across competitions next season.

The obvious priority is to strengthen at central defence. The exit of Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea's best defender, is a major blow while Andreas Christensen is also on his way out of Stamford Bridge, leaving the Blues short of options.

Elsewhere, decisions need to be made in midfield and attack. Jorginho, 30, and N'Golo Kante, 31, are both set to enter the final year of their contracts, and the club will need to either offer new deals or identify worthy replacements.

Rumours have circulated that Jorginho could be heading to Spain or back to Italy, and while Manchester United are reportedly interested in Kante, Tuchel has described the Frenchman as his "key, key, key player". The expected return of Conor Gallagher from his successful loan spell at Crystal Palace will add further competition to the midfield.

Chelsea 2021/22 season ratings

Further up the pitch, Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner have been the subject of speculation regarding their Chelsea futures after struggling to command regular starting places last season.

Then there is Romelu Lukaku. Heralded as the answer to Chelsea's goalscoring problems when he arrived for a club record fee last summer, after a bright start the Belgian striker seemed to create more problems than he solved. Will Chelsea persevere and hope to get the best out of a player capable of winning games on his own, or decide to cut their losses?

There is much to do at Chelsea this summer if they are to improve on last season's third-place Premier League finish. The photo gallery above looks at five players the club should sell and five players they should sign as the Blues aim to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.