To facilitate the arrival of the Italian international, Alonso is prepared to oversee a significant exodus of established defenders. The arrival of Lacroix has left Chelsea with ten central defenders on the books, a number the Spanish manager is determined to slash before the window shuts. Alonso has stated that his ideal squad configuration includes just “four to five” centre-backs. Consequently, this means Chelsea will have to part ways with five central defenders to balance the squad and the finances.
Trevoh Chalobah is on the verge of joining Cesc Fabregas at Como, while Axel Disasi is also drawing interest from the Italian top flight. Meanwhile, Benoit Badiashile has reportedly resigned himself to the fact that his time at Stamford Bridge has come to a close. By clearing these wages and generating significant transfer fees, Chelsea believe they can position themselves as frontrunners for Scalvini.