CHELSEA owner Todd Boehly is set to begin a ruthless cull of the Blues squad this summer.
And the criteria for these sales will come down to commitment from the player themselves.
The Telegraph have reported any player who is unwilling to commit to contract of at least three years in length faces being sold.
The first players Boehly is targeting for these negotiations are members of the squad with less than two-and-a-half years left on their current deals.
Among these stars – of which there are 15 – are a number of high-profile names.
Starting with the most near to expiry, N'Golo Kante's deal expires this summer but is reportedly close to an agreement.
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He is said to be happy at Stamford Bridge, but Kante's poor injury record over the last two years represents a risk for Chelsea.
Veterans Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta both have deals expiring in 2024, but represent different roles to the club.
Legend Azpilicueta has seen better days, and with the club bringing in Malo Gusto ahead of the new season he may find opportunities even more limited, potentially triggering interest from Barcelona again.
Meanwhile, even at the age of 38 Silva remains one of the team's key players, though his age means Boehly could make an exception to his three-year rule.
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Likewise, Mateo Kovacic is one of Chelsea's best players when fit.
But with interest in his services from Manchester City as he enters the final year of his deal, Kovacic could be swayed by the guarantee of Champions League football.
Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both failed to live up to expectations since arriving at Chelsea.
Both need a fresh start to reignite stuttering careers, so Boehly may have no second thoughts putting them on the chopping board as he prepares to trim the squad to size.
Cobham graduates Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount are both facing a similar dilemma on whether to stay put at the club.
27-year-old Loftus-Cheek remains a useful squad player, and with only light interest in his services a new deal appears quite low risk.
However, a number of clubs are interested in Mount, including Liverpool and Man City.
And with reports suggesting he is demanding to become one of the highest earners at the club despite his lacklustre form, a significant offer may be enough to prompt a sale.
Moving on to the 2025 expirees, the unhappy Hakim Ziyech represents one of the easiest choices Boehly has to make.
He was close to sealing a move to Paris Saint-Germain in January before Chelsea repeatedly sent the wrong paperwork, so a sale this summer appears to be a no-brainer.
Ben Chilwell arguably represents the opposite end of the happiness scale.
Plagued by unfortunate injuries, keeping Chilwell fit means Chelsea have a strong left side, and for years to come if a new deal is signed.
Kai Havertz and Conor Gallagher are both players who have significant interest in them, and with both playing below par this season they could make perfect sales for decent fees this summer.
Havertz particularly is a dilemma. Despite his enormous talent he still lacks a definitive role where he truly excels at the club.
Chelsea's goalkeeper situation has both keepers representing different skillsets and places in the squad over their years at Stamford Bridge but with identical contract expiry dates.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has the gloves for the moment, having bounced back from a shaky start.
His prowess with ball at his feet represents the future at Chelsea, even if it comes with the occasional error in keeping the ball out of the net.
Interest in the Spaniard is low, while Edouard Mendy has a number of clubs said to be after him.
SunSport revealed in December how Mendy had also rejected a new contract, with a belief from the club that negotiations were going nowhere.
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Mendy was instrumental in the club's Champions League winning run, but seems to have gone off the boil since then.
Youngster Lewis Hall impressed when called upon, and thus a new deal before the 2025 contract expiry of his current deal seems likely.
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