08 August 2023 , 13:26
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New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has overseen a major shake-up at Stamford Bridge this summer, with a number of incomings and outgoings as the Blues look to bounce back from their worst ever Premier League campaign.
The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi and Robert Sanchez have all joined the club in big-money deals, while N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Rubeen Loftus-Cheek, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Christian Pulisic have completed permanent exits.
As a result, there have been several of changes to Chelsea's squad numbers for the upcoming season, with existing players also switching. Record signing Enzo Fernandez, who joined from Benfica for £105m earlier this year, will replace Kovacic as Chelsea's eight/
As a result, defender Benoit Badiashile has been given the number five shirt Fernandez wore last season and four has become vacant. Raheem Sterling has swapped the number 17 for seven following Kante's move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad.
Levi Colwill, who recently committed his long-term future to Chelsea by signing a new six-year deal after an impressive loan stint at Brighton, will now wear the 26 shirt club legend John Terry wore throughout his career. That was vacated by Koulibaly, who has also made the move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Hilal.
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New signing Nkunku has taken the number 18 shirt, but will miss the start of the season with a knee injury. Striker Jackson, meanwhile, will wear 15 after Mykhaylo Mudryk switched to the number 10 shirt made vacant by Christian Pulisic's move to AC Milan.
Kepa Arrizabalaga remains Chelsea's number one, with new signing Robert Sanchez taking 31. Disasi will wear number two. Noni Madueke has switched from 31 to 11 after Joao Felix returned to Atletico Madrid following his short loan stint at Stamford Bridge and Malo Gusto, Lesley Ugochukwu and Andrey Santos will wear 27, 16 and 20 respectively.
Levi Colwill will wear the number 26 shirt made famous by John Terry, having signed a contract extension with Chelsea (Getty Images)Mirror Football is now on Threads!
Marc Cucurella will wear number three as a left-back. while youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka and Armando Broja will now wear numbers 17 and 19. Ian Maatsen has also been given the 29 shirt following a successful loan spell in the Championship with Burnley.
Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi were all absent from the list amid speculation their futures lie elsewhere. Lukaku looks set to join Juventus as part of a swap deal involving Dusan Valhovic, while Ziyech has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia or a return to Ajax.
Both Fulham and Lazio, who are manager by ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, have been credited with an interest in Hudson-Odoi who spent last season on loan in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.