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Chelsea forward now wants January exit with four English sides in the race
Chelsea are poised to field interest from a quartet of English sides as a member of their squad sets his sights on the January exit door, according to a report.
Players who could leave Chelsea in January
Chelsea are preparing for a mini January clearout as Enzo Maresca looks to trim his bloated squad and free up valuable wage space at Stamford Bridge.
The most pressing situations involve ‘bomb squad’ members Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, both of whom have trained separately from the first team throughout this entire season.
Neither player features in Maresca’s plans moving forward, yet both remain stuck on Chelsea’s books after failing to secure summer exits.
Sterling, earning well in excess of £300,000-per-week, spent last campaign on loan at Arsenal but failed to impress at the Emirates Stadium.
The former Man City winger joined Chelsea for £47.5m in 2022 with ambitions of competing for the Ballon d’Or, but his performances have fallen dramatically short of those expectations.
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The Blues will be without him for weeks.
His astronomical wages present a major obstacle to finding a suitable destination, with Turkish and Saudi clubs previously rebuffed as Sterling prioritises remaining in Europe.
Disasi’s predicament appears marginally more promising.
The French defender, who cost £38.5m from Monaco in 2023, spent the latter half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and recently made a surprise appearance for Chelsea’s Under-21 side.
Lyon have engaged in preliminary discussions regarding a January loan move to provide defensive cover during AFCON absences, though Chelsea may prefer permanent offers to avoid his return next summer.
Sterling and Disasi are sure-fire candidates to leave as we fast approach the winter window, but the same can also be said of Cobham academy graduate Tyrique George.
Tyrique George ready to leave Chelsea in January
Accoridng to TEAMtalk, George is actively pursuing a January departure from Chelsea after growing frustrated with his lack of opportunities under Maresca this season.
The 19-year-old Camden-born winger enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last term, making 26 appearances across all competitions after effectively replacing Sterling in the squad.
However, his progress has stalled dramatically this season, with just two League Cup starts, two Champions League starts, and a meagre 143 Premier League minutes accumulated from the bench.
Summer arrivals Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho have all leapfrogged George in the pecking order, while Pedro Neto has arguably emerged as Maresca’s most consistent wing option.
The teenager has not started a single Premier League game this campaign, leaving his first-team prospects looking increasingly bleak.
Chelsea themselves are open to George’s exit and a potential transfer to sister club Strasbourg is seen as an ideal solution.
The BlueCo ownership group views such a move as allowing George to continue his development within their multi-club system whilst gaining regular first-team minutes under Liam Rosenior.
Any deal would likely include clauses protecting Chelsea’s interests should George become a success in France. However, the Englishman ideally wants a permanent exit rather than another loan, and several Premier League clubs are monitoring his availability after being made aware of his desire to leave.
Fulham remain strongly interested after their £22m summer deadline day move collapsed, with the likes of Leeds United, Everton and Championship side Southampton also keen on the forward.
With George now increasingly likely to leave in January, the race for his signature is already heating up.
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The Blues are an ideal destination for him.
