Chelsea Renak Lists The Squad For The Champions League, Only 3 New Players Enter, While Aubameyang Becomes A Victim
JAKARTA Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was dropped from Chelsea's squad for the knockout stages of the 2022/2023 European Champions League. The Gabon international was abandoned to accommodate new players.
As is known, the team nicknamed the Blues just poured so much money to buy players in the January transfer market yesterday. A total of eight of their players were male to London.
They were recorded to have spent 107 million pounds (Rp1.9 trillion) just to get Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. The report says the London club still has to add 4 million pounds to the transaction.
The purchase set a record for the most expensive transfer of English football history. However, UEFA regulations allowed them to only include three new players into the European Champions League squad in the knockout stages later.
Enzo as the most expensive player in England, including one of the three new names registered in the most prestigious event between European clubs. He was included with Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix, who are newcomers as well.
These are automatically their other colleagues who also bought in January had to bite their fingers. They are David Datro Fofana, Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, Gabriel Slonina, and Benoit Badiamile.
Jorginho's departure to Arsenal ahead of yesterday's winter transfer window closing a place in the squad, which initially only contained 24 players for the group phase.
However, one other player also had to be crossed out to provide space for Enzo, Mykhailo, and Felix. Therefore, Aubameyang also had to be sacrificed from the team based at Stamford Bridge.
The 33-year-old doesn't have many games under Graham Potter. However, the former Barcelona player still has a chance to get a place in the squad with Hakim Ziyech.
Ziyech himself was linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but the transfer then failed to materialize. Therefore, it is not surprising that he will become a victim.
However, Ziyech's failure to transfer clearly made Aubameyang even more frustrated because he most likely had to share his playing time with Ziyech. Moreover, he has only scored three goals and started in nine games since Potter took over from Chelsea coach.
After being dropped from the Champions League squad, Aubameyang took a photo in Milan with his brother on Friday night. The photo coincided with his teammates facing Fulham.
Chelsea will face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the European Champions League. Potter's squad will play away in the first leg at Signal Iduna Park, Thursday 16 February, before hosting the German giants at Stamford Bridge, March 8.