Chelsea have stripped Liam Delap of his number nine shirt as uncertainty continues over the striker’s future at Stamford Bridge. The forward, who arrived at the club just twelve months ago, has been training separately from Xabi Alonso’s senior group at Cobham.
Tosin Adarabioyo is another player who has lost his squad number, with the centre-back seeing his number four shirt reassigned. Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk are among approximately twelve players working away from the main first-team squad as Alonso looks to reduce his options before the new Premier League campaign kicks off this week.
Chelsea currently have 41 senior players listed on their official website, a figure that does not include Axel Disasi after he spent last season on loan at West Ham. The total does include several academy products who have been involved with the senior side recently.
The west London club have abandoned the approach previously nicknamed the ‘bomb squad’ model, which previously encompassed high-profile players including Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Ben Chilwell, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix.
Delap arrived at Stamford Bridge on a six-year contract worth £30million just last summer. The 23-year-old’s number nine shirt has now been given to Joao Pedro following the Brazilian’s reported signing of a fresh long-term agreement, leaving the English forward to wear the number 12.
Chelsea are prepared to sanction Delap’s departure for more than £50million. Jackson, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Bayern Munich, is also available should any club meet his £65million price tag.
Marc Guiu, who has been assigned no squad number, is included in the same group of players and carries a valuation of £25million.
Tosin remains on the transfer list and has dropped from number four to number 38 in the squad listing. Aston Villa consider him a potential successor for Ezri Konsa, who is approaching a move to Arsenal. The defender has also attracted interest from Marseille, Sevilla and Benfica, though Chelsea’s asking price for the player has not been disclosed.
Mudryk could move on loan, though Chelsea have yet to secure a temporary switch for the Ukrainian winger, who only recently returned after serving a suspension. After losing his number ten shirt to Cole Palmer during his time away from the game, Mudryk has taken the number 33 jersey vacated by Wesley Fofana, who switched to the number three.
Disasi is also anticipated to depart. The defender has drawn interest from both English and foreign clubs, though negotiations have not progressed significantly.
Recent arrivals Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, assigned numbers 14 and 18 respectively, have also been training with this separate group to allow both experienced signings time to build their fitness. Their placement within training sessions reportedly depends on their individual workload requirements and the sessions Alonso conducts with the main squad.