Chelsea’s defeat in the Champions League and their failure to qualify for the competition next season could have huge ramifications for the club this summer.
That is because a new bonus scheme introduced by the Todd Boehly consortium at the club means that players on existing deals could see their wages slashed by up to 30%.
It also makes it much more difficult to persuade players like Mason Mount to sign a new contract with the club.
It is also going to make it more difficult to attract some of their biggest targets in the summer, which is likely to see substantial churn at Stamford Bridge anyway.
Already conscious of the fact that they are flirting with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, there is an acknowledged need to trim the squad, not only to get some of their wages off the books, but also to make room for new arrivals.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.