Chelsea ‘are plotting one-in one-out policy for the January transfer window’ in bid to avoid a bloated squad… with Malang Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah and Ian Maatsen ‘all up for sale’

Chelsea are reportedly plotting a one-in one-out transfer policy in January in a bid to avoid a repeat of the issues which eventually cost Graham Potter his job. 

At the start of this year, when Potter was in charge, Chelsea made six signings during the winter window, all of which went straight into the first team. 

Only Jorginho, who headed for Arsenal, left from the first team group and it led to a bloated squad that became a nightmare for Potter to manage, with big name players regularly omitted from matchday squads and reports of players having to get dressed in corridors at the training ground as the dressing rooms were too small. 

Now, in an effort to avoid the same fate falling on Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea are planning to tighten up their transfer strategy this time around, according to the Telegraph. 

Chelsea are said to be looking to make two to three additions to Pochettino’s side. 

However, in order to do that they will need to move on players that are not involved in Pochettino’s future plans.

Centre backs Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah are both reportedly up for sale, as is Ian Maatsen, the left back who rejected a switch to newly-promoted Burnley during the summer.  

The Telegraph also claim that with Chelsea keen to bolster their attacking options both Armando Broja and Noni Madueke may seek new challenges elsewhere. 

As revealed by Mail Sport, Broja is a January target for Premier League neighbours Fulham.

Chelsea are reportedly open to offers for Trevoh Chalobah (left) and Ian Maatsen (right)

The Craven Cottage club are in the market for a forward after losing Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal in August.

There is lots of focus on Pochettino and his players following an underwhelming start to the season. 

There were eight new arrivals in the summer and while there has been a bedding in process, Chelsea have 30 players listed for Pochettino’s squad and know they need to trim that down.

The Argentine is eager to foster a culture of togetherness and no doubt that was one of the reasons behind him not actually cancelling his players’ trips back to their former teams this weekend. 

Pochettino‘s threat to cancel Chelsea‘s days off after their 4-1 defeat by Newcastle soon appeared hollow after his stars showed off their trips away from the club’s Cobham training ground on social media.  

Fulham are eyeing up a January transfer swoop for Chelsea striker Armando Broja 

Mykhailo Mudryk shared an Instagram video from a helicopter while Nicolas Jackson linked up with his former Villarreal team-mates in Spain. 

That’s despite Pochettino claiming they would ‘train early in the morning and not have a day off’ after they were dismantled in the second half at St James’ Park. 

‘We were talking in the dressing room after the game, we should go directly to the hotel and sleep, and start to train early in the morning and not have a day off,’ said Pochettino. 

‘We shouldn’t just blame the players, we need to blame altogether and this is the process of learning and understanding that we want to compete at the level people think we should compete at. We have a very talented squad but to compete is different to playing.’ 

Chelsea sources later confirmed the day off had not been cancelled and that the team would resume training this week as planned.