Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has named four players who are highly unlikely to feature for Chelsea in the 2024-25 season. Romano believes Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, Armando Broja, and Ian Maatsen will be shown the exit door in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea Will Get Rid Of At Least Four Loanees, Suggests Fabrizio Romano
Premier League heavyweights Chelsea have one of the biggest rosters in Europe. Instead of selling underperforming, unhappy, or unsettled players right away, the Blues send them out on loan, allowing them to prove themselves. They also take this route when they cannot draw a lucrative enough offer for the player they want to sell. If the players impress during the loan spell, it greatly improves the parent club’s chances of getting a better offer.
Last summer, Chelsea loaned out Lukaku to AS Roma and Ziyech to Galatasaray, having failed to secure permanent deals for the pair. In January, Broja and Maatsen left for Fulham and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, in search of minutes. According to Romano, none of the four players are currently in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans and are likely to depart when the summer window opens.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano revealed:
“We’re likely to see departures at Chelsea this summer, particularly with the players who are currently out on loan.
“As previously reported, the plan is for Armando Broja to be sold once he comes back from his loan at Fulham, and Hakim Ziyech can already be considered to have played his last game for Chelsea. I also expect Romelu Lukaku and Ian Maatsen to leave Chelsea, but for the others, we have to wait and see what happens.”
How Have The Four Loanees Fared This Season
Lukaku, who joined Chelsea from Inter Milan for €113 million ($121.30 million) in August 2021, has been in decent form for AS Roma. Playing in 44 games in all competitions, he has scored 20 times and provided four assists.
Right-winger Ziyech, who cost Chelsea €40 million ($42.94 million) in 2020, meanwhile, has struggled with fitness issues. Playing only 21 games across competitions, he has scored eight times and provided four assists.
Academy graduate Maatsen has looked good for Dortmund, chipping in with two goals and two assists in 20 appearances across competitions. He is likely to start in Dortmund’s Champions League final clash with Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium on June 1. Lastly, Broja has only played sporadically for Fulham. In seven Premier League games, he has only provided an assist.
