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Analysis
- 54 minutes ago
Three players left STRANDED at Chelsea after Deadline Day
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 2 Sept 2025 15:57 BST
- 4 min read
News
Three members of the ‘Bomb Squad’ at Chelsea have been left stranded at the club after failing to secure a summer transfer.
The Blues were the most active club in world football during the 2025 summer transfer window, however Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling and David Datro Fofana were unable to be offloaded.
Current ETV
Axel Disasi
D (CR)
Chelsea
Axel Disasi
D (CR)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€22.6M - €27.7M
All three players were deemed surplus to requirements by the Blues hierarchy at the start of the summer and they were expected to leave the club on a permanent deal before the end of Transfer Deadline Day on 1 September.
However, moves away simply failed to materialise. The Daily Mail claim that AS Monaco, Marseille, Crystal Palace and West Ham United all explored a potential deal for Disasi before opting against finalising a transfer, while Fulham decided against pursuing Sterling.
In addition, Fofana rejected the chance to join Celtic in favour of a loan move to Charlton Athletic, but the Championship were unable to submit the necessary paperwork on time. As a result, all three players have been left stranded at Chelsea.
There is some hope that Disasi and Fofana could join a club in Turkey or Saudi Arabia, with both of those transfer windows not yet closed, but Sterling has seemingly ruled out a move abroad and is willing to wait until January before leaving Stamford Bridge.
Who did Chelsea sell this summer?
Although Chelsea were unable to sell Disasi, Sterling or Datro Fofana during the Premier League transfer window, they still managed to complete an exuberant number of sales.
In fact, the Blues set a new world record for the most money earned in a single transfer window in football history.
A total of €339.9 million was earned through player sales this summer, with Chelsea offloading 16 stars for a confirmed transfer fee, including Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix.
Nicolas Jackson also departed the club for Bayern Munich on a loan deal worth €16.5m, and the Bundesliga giants will be required to sign him permanently for €65m next summer, due to the inclusion of an obligation-to-buy clause.
Meanwhile, Chelsea spent €328.2m on new signings, with Joao Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho among the summer arrivals.
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