Chelsea ready to offload 12 players as Mauricio Pochettino starts summer clear out

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Up to a dozen players could leave Chelsea this summer as Mauricio Pochettino starts his reign with a huge clear out.

Pochettino was announced as the Blues' new boss on Monday and though he cannot officially start work until 1st July, he will advice his sporting directors on player sales following a disastrous season.

Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League table despite Todd Boehly spending a record £600million on transfers in his first season as owner and chairman and as a result the club are now under pressure to sell in order to comply with Financial Fair Play rules.

The Evening Standard report that they want to make some sales before the 30th June so they can be included in their financial accounts for the 2022/23 and further claim that 12 players are on the chopping block.

The report names 10 of these players, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang unsurprisingly the name most likely to leave Stamford Bridge after scoring just three goals in 21 appearances and starting just five league games.

The 33-year-old striker was only signed from Barcelona last summer and is open to returning to the Camp Nou, while Atletico Madrid and AC Milan are also interested in the former Arsenal captain.

Milan are already in talks with midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while Atletico also have their eye on Marc Cucurella who like Aubameyang only signed for Chelsea last summer for a fee of £62m.

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Additionally, Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, and Hakim Ziyech are destined to leave west London in the near-future, while star midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount also appear to heading toward the exit.

The Blues are content to lose Kovacic, who has been linked with Manchester City, but are still determined to keep Mount who has rejected multiple contract offers from his boyhood club.

The England star's current deal expires in 2024 and he is a significant target for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, with the Red Devils reportedly readying a £55m bid for the 24-year-old.

Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta could be moved on with Boehly and co. particularly open to offers for the oldest players in the squad and the 33-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the past.

Finally and somewhat surprisingly, Kai Havertz has also been named as a sellable asset having mostly flattered to deceive since his £71m move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.

Though he has struggled, the German forward has shown great quality at times and finished the recent campaign as Chelsea's joint top scorer, alongside Raheem Sterling, with nine goals.

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