Chelsea took a major step towards the Premier League title, with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
A first half strike from Eden Hazard proved to be enough, as once again Jose Mourinho’s side showed there are few better sides at defending such a slender lead.
If ever a game typified Chelsea’s season it was Saturday’s.
Not especially nice to watch, but one goal proved enough to get the job done.
It has been Chelsea’s title to lose since September in truth, and there are now just a couple more games until the inevitable fourth Premier League triumph is sealed.
Yet Mourinho and the ever difficult to impress Roman Abramovich will demand even more next season, and with the Chelsea boss the self-appointed spokesperson for Financial Fair Play, we can expect some outgoings before any new signings.
Here we have identified five Chelsea players the fans can’t wait to see the back of.
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Click on Jose Mourinho to reveal 5 players Chelsea can’t wait to get rid of
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Victor Moses
Chelsea paid £9million to sign Victor Moses from Wigan in the summer of 2012, in what will surely go down as one of the most pointless signings in their history.
Moses was used sparingly that season – mostly in the Europa League – before completing a loan switch to Liverpool the following year, where he failed to impress.
He has spent this season on loan at Stoke City, where he has started to rediscover some form. However reports suggest the Potters cannot match Chelsea’s asking price, so the Nigerian looks set to head back to Stamford Bridge once more at the end of this season.
Mohamed Salah
‘The Egyptian Messi’ only moved to Chelsea in January 2014. He did okay during the second half of last season, with goals in the 6-0 thrashing of Arsenal and the 3-0 win over Stoke.
Yet he never seemed popular with the supporters, or Jose Mourinho – who only gave him three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season before sending him off to Fiorentina on loan.
There, Salah has started to show some of the form that saw him classed as one of the most highly rated young players in Europe, yet Chelsea see no future for him at Stamford Bridge – despite forking out £11million to sign him little over a year ago.
Ori0l Romeu
One of the few reminders of the ill-fated Andre Villas-Boas era that is still on the books at Stamford Bridge.
Big things were predicted of the Spanish midfielder when he was signed in the summer of 2011, but after a bright start, injuries struck and he has not had a sniff since.
He spent last season back in Spain with Valencia, before returning to Chelsea and signing a three year contract – only to head back out on loan, this time to German club Stuttgart.
With Mourinho being consistently linked with midfield talent the likes of Sami Khedira and Paul Pogba, Romeu is looking likely to leave on a permanent deal in the summer.
Gael Kakuta
Yes, he really is still on the books at Stamford Bridge – and being paid.
Once billed as the next big talent to emerge from France, Kakuta signed on at Chelsea in 2009 – and has managed six Premier League appearances to date.
He has had loan spells at Fulham, Bolton, Vitesse, Dijon, Lazio and most recently Rayo Vallecano.
Surely it must be time for him to finally leave permanently in the summer?
Marko Marin
Chelsea agreed to sign the German winger in April 2012, and he is still yet to make any sort of positive impact at Stamford Bridge – despite having now made it three years on the club’s books.
There was plenty of hype surrounding Marin when he first signed, but there has been no indication he has what it takes to cut it in the Premier League.
Marin has had loan spells at Sevilla and Fiorentina, and can currently been seen in Belgium for Anderlecht.
Chelsea already have a selection of wingers to choose from, so it is looking as though a permanent move may well be agreed for Marin in the summer.
