Thomas Tuchel facing new challenge, as he admits Chelsea stars will leave

Thomas Tuchel says he is facing a new challenge at Chelsea in pre-season and has admitted that some of his squad will be leaving this summer.

Tuchel is adamant that he will give everyone a chance to impress this summer. However, with speculation raging over the future of Tammy Abraham, Tuchel has admitted “some of them want to maybe leave”.

The German coach, who guided the Blues into the top four and to the Champions League crown, has a heavy squad.

Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud have already left on permanent deals, while Marc Guehi, Lewis Bate and Myles Peart-Harris have all left on loan to Crystal Palace, Leeds and Crystal Palace respectively.

Billy Gilmour has been loaned to Norwich, while Victor Moses has stayed at Spartak Moscow, but Tuchel admits he has still been unable to get his squad enough game time.

Tuchel told Chelsea’s official website: “I have never had that before.

“That was new. I was not scared about it. But I was curious to see how the mentality is because don’t forget, some of them leave their families behind. Some of them want to stay in their loan clubs, some of them have not that possibility.

“Some of them have done two or three pre-seasons here already. And some of them want to look absolutely for the chance to stay, some of them want to maybe leave. They’re humans, they’re not robots and that’s why we have to accept it’s not the easiest situation also for them.

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“But what I’ve experienced every day is the complete opposite. It’s a very positive group, hardworking, full of desire to learn, hungry in every training session and ready to go.

“It’s such a good mix with the five or six guys who were with us here in the last half-a-year. I’m absolutely happy because it’s so much easier than I thought. Iit’s so easy and so nice to be the coach of these guys. There are possibilities for all of us and this group deserves our full attention, and they get it.

 

“I don’t judge on where you come from or what your history is, or what you earn or what your status is. I’m in charge of this group so they get my 100 per cent. I give my everything, they give it back, they make me smile. I give even more, that makes them smile, they give even more.

“You try every year to create a certain atmosphere where everybody is happy to come. Everybody feels valued, everybody feels confident but everybody knows at the same time what is expected from them and then you have to live up to your talent.


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Tammy Abraham to lead exits

“These guys are full of talent and now it’s on us to push them to their highest level possible. Then we will decide is this in the moment good enough for us. Does this help us, is it better for the player to go on loan or get sold. This comes as the last step in this give and take.”

Abraham has been linked with a move away from Chelsea after struggling to get game time towards the end of the season.

He was marginalised by the German tactician and played just 17 minutes of football under the former Paris Saint-Germain coach. There is nothing to suggest anything will be different in the upcoming campaign and a move away looks on the cards.

Arsenal have been linked with the former Bristol City striker and are understood to be willing to meet his £125,000 a week salary, according to  The Express.

A fee though will be the sticking point. Chelsea are understood to be looking for close to £40m for the 23-year-old.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Zappacosta and Michy Batshuayi are also likely to move on this summer.

READ MORE: Chelsea losing battle to keep star after fresh twist dashes Tuchel request