Frank Lampard is preparing for his first transfer business as Chelsea manager, as reports claim he will offload midfield duo Danny Drinkwater and Tiemoue Bakayoko after deeming them surplus to requirements.
The new Blues boss is handcuffed by a registration ban in his first season in charge, meaning he is forced to work with the players currently at his disposal for the next 12 months, with no new signings allowed.
With a first-team squad of 35 players, however, there is some room for manoeuvre as far as outgoing transfers are concerned. According to the Mail, among the first players to face the axe are Drinkwater and Bakayoko, both of whom have failed to make any sort of impact at Stamford Bridge since their respective arrivals.
Drinkwater joined Chelsea from Leicester in 2017 but has managed just 23 appearances since, so it's of no great surprise to hear that he may be on the way out.
Competition for places in midfield is likely to be beyond fierce even minus the duo, however. Mateo Kovacic returns to the club from Real Madrid on a permanent deal, and joins senior midfielders Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Ross Barkley, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is likely to resume his promising development when he returns from an Achilles injury in December.
There is also likely to be room for academy prospect Mason Mount, who was instrumental for Lampard on loan at Derby County last season, and has seen his fair share of football in pre-season - most recently starting in the 2-1 win over Barcelona.
Everton are named as possible suitors for Bakayoko, with the Toffees apparently set to lose midfielder Idrissa Gueye to Paris Saint-Germain.
Source : 90min