Chelsea 'go against' Mauricio Pochettino as three stars 'up for sale' amid FFP concerns

Chelsea are reportedly planning to sell a number of their academy stars and go against the wishes of manager Mauricio Pochettino, with concerns over profitability and sustainability (PSR) rules still lingering.

The Blues have spent more than £1billion in four transfer windows since Todd Boehly's takeover in 2022 and look set to splash the cash once again ahead of next season. A new striker is top of the summer shopping list but will not come cheap, with targets such as Victor Osimhen expected to cost close to £100million.

Boehly and his team have been creative in keeping the club within the Premier League's PSR rules but money is not infinite at Stamford Bridge and player sales are expected. A number of stars could be moved on and TEAMtalk reports that academy graduates could be the first to go, despite Pochettino's desire to keep certain individuals.

The report names Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja as potential exits and Pochettino has been clear about wanting to keep the former especially. Gallagher's 25 Premier League starts is more than anyone else at the club and the captain's armband has often been his.

Those above the Argentinian see an opportunity to generate more money from academy sales when it comes to balancing the books as they represent pure profit. Having essentially joined the club for free, there are no payments outstanding for such players and so a £30million sale, for example, would go down entirely as profit.

Tottenham Hotspur were heavily linked with a move for Gallagher in the summer and are expected to return, with Ange Postecoglou a huge fan of the midfielder's energy and intensity. Broja was sent out on loan to Fulham in January but is yet to score for his temporary club amid an unfortunate bout of illness.

The report states that several clubs including Crystal Palace, Roma and Bayern Munich were interested in Chalobah during the January window, albeit a move failed to materialise. The 21-year-old has just one Premier League start to his name at Chelsea this season.