Axel Disasi's Instagram post, captioned simply "Life", offers a glimpse into the reality for several Chelsea players currently out of favor. The photo depicts a stark contrast to the opulent facilities typically associated with the club's Cobham training ground.
The locker room shown is small and sparsely furnished, with bare walls, a few wooden chairs, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and two windows. The scene evokes a sense of simplicity, more befitting a semi-professional team than a former Champions League winner.
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The locker room for players no longer in Chelsea's plans. Photo: Axel Disasi |
The names of the excluded players are taped to the chairs, including Disasi, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Alfie Gilchrist. Gilchrist, a product of Chelsea's academy, appears dejected, his head in his hands. These players, not training with the first team, are also excluded from the modern locker room.
Disasi spent the latter half of last season on loan at Aston Villa. Despite returning to London this summer, he is not in manager Enzo Maresca's plans. Similarly, several other players are training separately, awaiting decisions on their futures.
Left-back Chilwell made 123 appearances for Leicester across all competitions before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2020 for a then club-record 66 million USD.
Chelsea entered the summer of 2025 with 43 first-team players, necessitating a rapid squad reduction. According to the Telegraph, the west London club aims to offload around 10 players, including Raheem Sterling. The English forward had a lackluster season at Arsenal but still has two years remaining on his Chelsea contract, with a weekly wage of 440,000 USD. Both Chelsea and Sterling are keen to part ways, but a loan move remains a possibility.
Chelsea's list of potential departures also includes other expensive acquisitions like Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, as well as young talent Tyrique George. Argentinian defender Aaron Anselmino is also attracting interest from several European clubs.
This clear-out aims to balance the club's finances. Chelsea hopes to generate around 400 million USD from player sales during this transfer window, bringing their net spending closer to zero.
Hoang An (Daily Mail)
