Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has urged the club to continue the clear out the first-team squad and to allow him to bring 'balance' back to the side.
The Blues used a staggering 33 players during their infamous 2022/23 season, finishing a lowly 12th in the Premier League table.
To make amends, Chelsea have already sold 13 senior players during the summer transfer window, though as this figure also includes some who were out on loan last season and others have since returned, Pochettino still has a bloated squad to contend with.
Speaking ahead of their pre-season friendly with Brighton in the US, Pochettino insisted his roster still needs trimming.
"You need 23,24, max 25, keeper included. We don't need 30 to 35 players. We need to be right in how we choose profile and balance is most important," Pochettino said.
"Sometimes you get the balance with less than more. It's not that you cannot manage, the problem is players who are not going to play, where will they get the motivation.
"It's not going to be easy for them first, we cannot ask them to be happy every day, we cannot blame the players, we have to be strong in our decisions."
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Pochettino would also like to bring in further additions before Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign on August 13 at home to Liverpool.
90min understands they recently had a £70m bid for Moises Caicedo knocked back by Brighton, with Roberto De Zerbi sensationally floating the idea of a swap deal for Levi Colwill in the press conference which immediately followed Pochettino's.
When asked if he would like to sign more players while Chelsea are on their US tour, Pochettino replied: "What do you think? As soon as possible of course. Any coach would want to close the squad as soon as possible. If it's not possible, no problem. I am happy how we are working.
"I won't name a captain until Liverpool. I need to see the reaction, how they react on and off the pitch. It is time to assess everyone."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Mauricio Pochettino issues transfer demand to Chelsea.