Aug 28, 2024, 05:00 AM ET
There’s no hiding from the fact that Chelsea have taken “squad depth” to a whole new level over the last year, building a team that can compete in four competitions with plenty of room for rotation.
The squad, however, still has a distinctly Emma Hayes flavour to it and, as we’ve seen already this summer, new manager Sonia Bompastor has not been shy about bringing in players she wants to work with.
Since the end of last season, Chelsea have already said goodbye to Alsu Abdullina, Jess Carter, Nicky Evrard, Fran Kirby, Melanie Leupolz, Maren Mjelde and Katerina Svitková, yet the squad could still make up three whole starting XIs. While we expect more players to be sent out on loan — like those that have seen teenagers Greta Humphries and Ashanti Akpan already join up with Bristol City and Birmingham City respectively — the WSL squad cap only allows for 25 players to be registered at any one time. So what will they do to get it down?
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Although the title went down to the wire last season, it’s clear there is plenty of talent in this Chelsea team and a busy transfer window has only added to that. But it’s also already clear some players will simply not be a fit for the new manager.
Yes, it might be hard for fans to imagine a Chelsea team not led by Hayes, but the Bompastor era is here and the squad will have to undergo changes as the 2021-22 Champions League winner makes it her own.
With what we know about Bompastor from her time coaching Olympique Lyonnais — the coach is a fan of an adaptive 4-3-3 that is quick in transition and can press high — our women’s football experts have gone through the Chelsea squad list and given their verdict on whether she should keep or dump each player.
Sonia Bompastor, right, is the new Chelsea manager. Her squad is too big, but which players should she build around? Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Keep/dump ground rules
Remember: This is our assessment of what we think the club should do, player for player, with the squad at their disposal. It’s not what we think they will actually do, though sometimes the two will align. That said, we take into account what we know of the club, coaching staff and player preferences, as well as their financial situation and any other factors that we think will impact personnel moves.
Where we disagree, or where we think our rationale is worth explaining, we’ve noted below.
Unlike the men’s version of Keep or Dump, there is no credible source for contract expiry in the women’s game, so we have omitted that aspect.
Goalkeepers
Zecira Musovic (28)
Lawson: We know Hayes was a big Hampton fan but it will be interesting to see who gets the nod to start for Bompastor. There is little question that Musovic deserves a chance between the sticks.
Verdict: Keep
Hannah Hampton (23)
Lawson: She made a few errors last season, but we know she’s rated highly and there’s every reason to keep her.
Verdict: Keep
Emily Orman (21)
Lawson: She’s young and a back-up who was on loan at Reading last season. While it’s not strange to have a third-choice goalkeeper, I’d get rid of just to keep the squad size down as I just don’t think she’ll see any time on the pitch.
Keogh: Not travelling for a preseason tour indicates that a loan or permanent move is on the cards. Given Chelsea’s dominant keepers, the young keeper should move to a club lower in the table to gain some minutes.
Verdict: Move on
Defenders
Millie Bright was the captain of the club until Emma Hayes but will she retain the armband? Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images
Aniek Nouwen (25)
Keogh: Despite being injured, it is hard to see where she fits in this Chelsea team even at 100%. The best move for the young defender is to depart.
Verdict: Move on
Millie Bright (30)
Lawson: We saw it last season, Bright lifts the level of the whole defence. Whether or not she’ll be Bompastor’s captain remains to be seen, but you’ve got to keep her.
Verdict: Keep
Ashley Lawrence (29)
Lawson: Chelsea arguably have too many full-backs, but Lawrence’s adaptability really makes the difference. The Blues probably aren’t going to be handing her a nine-year contract, but she’s still a top talent.
Verdict: Keep
Nathalie Björn (27)
Lawson: She’s not going anywhere.
Verdict: Keep
Eve Périsset (29)
Lawson: I really like Périsset and thought she upped her level last season. I’d keep her around for that reason, but it’s hard to ignore that Bompastor had approached Lucy Bronze about joining Chelsea before the ink on her new contract was dry.
Keogh: While I am a fan of the defender and think she was one of Chelsea’s best players last season, she struggled to see game time and, with the introduction of Lawrence and now Bronze, I struggle to see where she fits under Bompastor. Having been on the fringes of the France World Cup squad, a player of her calibre needs consistent game time and it doesn’t seem like she’ll see that at Chelsea this season.
Verdict: Split
Niamh Charles (25)
Lawson: She has come along leaps and bounds in the last year-and-a-half, but is she a Bompastor player?
Keogh: Having been handed the armband in the second half of the Arsenal friendly, it seems like Bompastor is eager to keep the defender and sees her as part of the leadership team. This trust is what brought her on leaps and bounds under Hayes, so it makes sense to continue the trend.
Verdict: Keep, for now
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Lucy Bronze (32)
Verdict: Keep
Kadeisha Buchanan (28)
Lawson: Buchanan’s performances haven’t been the best since she swapped Lyon for Chelsea, and if Hayes was still around, it would be time to let the Canada international go. However, she’s joining up with her former coach and that pre-existing relationship could be the difference when it comes to getting the best out of her in a Chelsea shirt.
Keogh: Since she joined Chelsea, I’ve felt she hasn’t resembled the player she was at Lyon on a consistent basis. I’m not sure she has adapted to the WSL. With Björn and other promising centre-backs itching to prove themselves, I think her time might have run out.
Verdict: Split
Alejandra Bernabé (22)
Keogh: With so much talent, I just don’t see where the youngster fits in the team. Although she was impressive during preseason, I just can’t see her getting on the pitch. Bompastor’s history as a former academy coach could help her development, but it just feels two seasons too soon.
Verdict: Move on
Cerys Brown (19)
Lawson: She may have just signed a new deal, but she should move out on loan as she did to Watford last season.
Keogh: She was impressive against Gotham, but is too raw to be successful in this Chelsea team right now.
Verdict: Move on, loan out
Brooke Aspin (19)
Lawson: I was underwhelmed with Aspin on loan at Bristol City last season. She’s obviously still young and has a lot of room to improve, but I don’t see her breaking into the squad in the long term. So many of these players, I fear, are going to be bounced around on loan for a few seasons and eventually let go.
Keogh: There are positives to her game, but I struggle to see her breaking into the team. Assuming she will be on loan this season, it will likely be make or break and she needs to step up massively to earn a place among the Chelsea back line.
Verdict: Move on, loan out
Jorja Fox (20)
Lawson: It’s the full-backs again. We saw a little of Fox on her return from an ACL injury, but it’s hard to gauge where she’s at and her loan at Crystal Palace could tell us.
Keogh: The injury stunted her development but there is an opportunity to really prove herself to return to the fold for the 2025-26 season. A stellar season will be needed to earn her place in this highly competitive side.
Verdict: Split
Greta Humphries (19)
Verdict: Keep
Midfielders
Erin Cuthbert could end up being a key player in midfield. David Ramos/Getty Images
Sophie Ingle (32)
Lawson: After letting Leupolz go, you’ve got to keep Ingle around. But as reliable as the Wales international has been over the years, I don’t think we’ll see her in a Chelsea shirt this time next year.
Verdict: Keep
Sjoeke Nüsken (23)
Lawson: Young, talented, versatile. A great player to have.
Verdict: Keep
Erin Cuthbert (26)
Lawson: She is perhaps not the first name on the teamsheet, but Cuthbert should be a foundational player for this squad.
Verdict: Keep
Júlia Bartel (20)
Lawson: One of the first signings of the new era spent most of her career with Barcelona B, and I do wonder what the plan is for Bompastor. We know Bartel is off to the Under-20 World Cup which will keep her busy until late September, but beyond that a loan to get more experience could be key.
Keogh: I think some consistent game time is needed for her to adapt to the intensity of the league. Only then will we be able to judge how she may fare at Chelsea. But I fear she will fall through the net if something spectacular doesn’t materialise in the first half of the season.
Verdict: Keep, loan
Wieke Kaptein (18)
Lawson: I’ve flip-flopped on Kaptein after Chelsea’s preseason tour, I had thought we’d see another loan for the Dutch teenager and her future would be up in the air, but after showing a lot of maturity against Arsenal, I think we could see Bompastor make her a potential starter. Of all the young players Hayes scooped up over her last two years at the club, Kaptein possibly has the highest level of any.
Keogh: I watched her control the midfield in both of Chelsea’s preseason games in the USA. Keeping her around the first team will give her a chance to reach her potential and, as an 11-cap Netherlands international already, I think she can handle the pressure.
Verdict: Keep
Oriane Jean-François (22)
Lawson: No question, we’re talking about a Bompastor player here. She is still on her way back to her best after a nasty ACL injury, but I’d suggest the idea is for Jean-François to become the Damaris Egurrola of this Bompastor team.
Verdict: Keep
Charlotte Wardlaw (21)
Lawson: There’s a point when you’ve got to have an eye on the homegrown quotas for WSL teams, but is Wardlaw going to get a run in this side after spending time at Glasgow City last season?
Verdict: Move on
Lexi Potter (17)
Lawson: She spent time on loan at Crystal Palace last season and signed her first senior deal at age 17. Chelsea clearly think highly of her, but it’s loan o’clock.
Keogh: Another loan is crucial for her development.
Verdict: Keep, loan out
Ashanti Akpan (18)
Verdict: Keep
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Sophie Lawson discusses what new Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor can bring to the club.
Forwards
Mia Fishel (23)
Lawson: Fishel has more to give; we know this from her time with Tigres. When she’s back from her ACL injury, I can see her being a real menace in the box, so I’d keep her.
Keogh: Before her injury, I struggled to see her adapting to the WSL and wasn’t entirely convinced by her performances. No one knows how a player will return from a long-term injury but I wouldn’t be surprised if she moves on after this season.
Verdict: Split
Mayra Ramírez (25)
Verdict: Keep
Catarina Macario (24)
Lawson: She played under Bompastor at Lyon, and has heaps of talent. But my gut is telling me it’s going to be an unhappy marriage in London.
Keogh: The USWNT striker had some decent stats at the end of last season — finishing with five assists and one goal from eight matches. I think Macario is one of the most clinical talents in the WSL and I don’t think Chelsea will let her go easily. She seems content and it feels like a promising situation for now.
Verdict: Split
Lauren James (22)
Verdict: Keep
Guro Reiten (30)
Lawson: She’s at the club for another season, with an option for another year after, but I’m already wondering how she figures in Bompastor’s plans. No question she’s earned her starts at Chelsea, but I don’t think she’s staying long terms.
Verdict: Keep
Sandy Baltimore (24)
Verdict: Keep
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (27)
Lawson: On paper, a solid Bompastor player.
Verdict: Keep
Sam Kerr was injured for much of last season but is still a quality player. Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images
Sam Kerr (30)
Lawson: She just signed a new deal (let’s not talk about the video prank) and, long-term injury aside, is a player for big moments so she has to figure in the plans.
Verdict: Keep
Maika Hamano (20)
Lawson: Another player I like. She has bags of talent and we know Bompastor is good about getting the best out of younger players. But, like so many others, I just see question marks about her future.
Keogh: No player excites me more than Hamano and she stays in my opinion. If preseason is anything to go by, she will have a ball next season. There is something so special about her character and talent. I think Bompastor will be the perfect manager to capitalise on that.
Verdict: Split
Lucy Watson (20)
Keogh: I was impressed with Watson during preseason and I think with time and another loan, she could develop into a ruthless and versatile forward. She’s just a bit raw to slot seamlessly into the side right now. Give it a season on loan to a mid-table WSL club and I could see her slotting into the Chelsea side this time next year.
Verdict: Keep, send out on loan
Aimee Claypole (18)
Lawson: She has been sent on a half-season loan to Linkoping in Sweden, but after that who knows?
Verdict: Move on
Aggie Beever-Jones (21)
Lawson: She broke through really well last season and could develop well under Bompastor.
Keogh: Keep, keep, keep.
Verdict: Keep
Louna Ribadeira (20)
Lawson: This is where things get a little messier with the Bompastor era. Chelsea don’t need more attackers but Ribadeira is a top-rated youngster who the new coach will think she can help grow, and will already know plenty about from watching her in the French league. When you’ve got a huge squad a new signing is odd, while the knock-on for the current squad next season is the unknown. But, for now, loaning her back to Paris FC stops the water from getting muddier.
Verdict: Keep
Overall verdict
What we saw from Hayes was a detailed level of planning when it came to each individual player, which includes the teenagers the club signed from elsewhere or promoted from their own academy.
It’s unclear if that legacy will live on, but there is already the sense that there are young players who — as we often see in the men’s team — will leave after a few seasons of loans without making much of an impact on the senior squad. Indeed, the majority of the question marks over the 38 players on the books are hanging over the heads of those youngsters.
The players Bompastor has inherited can fit into her system and play at pace on the break, as well as counter-pressing with purpose. Indeed, the French coach has not inherited a ramshackle group of players but a specifically built team that already has cohesion, which is more than can be said for what Enzo Maresca has walked into with the other senior team at Cobham.
Bompastor is not Hayes though, so it’s likely that even some of the fan favourites at Chelsea will find themselves unsettled and knocked down the pecking order as the new coach puts her stamp on the squad.
Also, they have too many full-backs.
