Luiz Felipe Scolari says he plans to trim his Chelsea squad by at least seven players over the summer.
New Blues boss wants no more than 25 players at his disposal
New Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed that he plans to trim his squad by at least seven players over the summer.
Scolari was officially presented as the Blues' new boss at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
The Brazilian coach outlined his desire to hold on to his star players, with the likes of midfielder Frank Lampard and striker Didier Drogba drawing interest from a number of European clubs.
However, Scolari has explained that he has told his players he is keen to streamline his 32-strong squad to a number no greater than 25.
Maximum
"Now I have 32 players. But now is the time to change the team. One will come and one will go, three players might be wanted by other teams," he told a press conference.
"I want to work with 23, 24, 25 players. If I have 30 players I can't bring them in from the youth side. The players know this.
"When I spoke to them yesterday, I said, 'There will be 23, 24 or 25 who will stay. That is the maximum I will need'.
Sidwell
"After this, is not my business. Contracts are not for me. That is for the players.
"After this happens, some players might say 'No, the coach didn't say this to me before'. But all the players know I want to work with no more than 25."
Midfielder Steve Sidwell could be the next permanent departure of the summer from Stamford Bridge, with his move to Aston Villa rumoured to be imminent.
