‘Reece James and Levi Colwill agents fear Chelsea transfer offload’
Chelsea are causing concern among the agents of some of their key players as the club fight to qualify for the Champions League this season.
The Blues currently occupy the fifth and final qualifying spot for Europe’s top competition in the Premier League table.
They do however, face plenty of competition for a place in the tournament, and they will have to end the season without striker Nicolas Jackson following his sending off at Newcastle on Sunday (11 May).
Failure to qualify for the Champions League would represent a major financial blow for Chelsea as well as a footballing one, which is now raising questions on the future of some of their players.
Reece James and Levi Colwill sales feared
As per a report from The Sun, the Blues could miss out on a windfall of around £70million if they are not playing in the Champions League next season.
That would of course put the Stamford Bridge club under more financial pressure as they aim to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations.
| Position | Played | Goal Difference | Points |
| 2. Arsenal | 36 | +33 | 68 |
| 3. Newcastle United | 36 | +23 | 66 |
| 4. Manchester City | 36 | +24 | 65 |
| 5. Chelsea | 36 | +19 | 63 |
| 6. Aston Villa | 36 | +7 | 63 |
| 7. Nottingham Forest | 36 | +12 | 62 |
Chelsea have already sold their women’s team and two hotels to themselves via BlueCo in a way to manage that situation.
This update though states that there are only a finite amount of assets they can do that with, meaning they may soon have to revert to more traditional methods of raising funds such as player sales.
As a result, agents of certain Chelsea first-team players are said to be concerned their clients could be sold, with captain Reece James and centre-back Levi Colwill among those touted for possible departures.
Chelsea exits may have to happen
Football Insider Verdict
It will undoubtedly be a blow for the club’s project if they are forced to let go of players such as James and Colwill in the summer.
Both players have shown themselves to be assets for the Blues with their performances on numerous occasions, with James’ leadership as captain particularly important.
However, the club surely cannot afford to put themselves under financial pressure, especially at a time when Chelsea may have to manage the major financial demands of a move to a new stadium as well.
While the fact these two are academy graduates would make the situation even more frustrating, it would at least ensure they represent pure profit when it comes to managing the books.
That would help to ease the financial pressure even further, and may reduce the need for more sales as might otherwise be the case.
Even if that was to happen Chelsea would still need to replace these individuals, so this underlines just how important the money that comes with qualifying for the Champions League could be for the club.