A big European club could sign one of Chelsea's first team regulars on loan this summer, according to a surprise report from the continent.

Players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer in rebuild

Ian Maatsen is on the verge of sealing a move to Aston Villa, as the Dutchman potentially becomes Chelsea's second high-profile exit after veteran defender Thiago Silva departed Stamford Bridge for Fluminense.

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Chelsea agreed a £37.5 million deal with Villa over Maatsen's sale, with reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano explaining earlier this week that the left-back's agents are just finalising the details of his contract.

"Chelsea and Aston Villa reached an agreement for the £37.5m sale of Ian Maatsen on Wednesday and I can say that the “Here We Go!” is expected soon," said Romano to GiveMeSport.

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"What is missing is the full agreement between Maatsen and Aston Villa on personal terms. There are still some details to clarify but I believe conversations are going very well. The full-back is keen on the move to Villa Park so now we wait for the player’s contract to get finalised. The agents are working on it, and then we should get the final green light on this transfer story."

In terms of who could follow Maatsen out of the exit door, Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, David Datro Fofana, Conor Gallagher, Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Omari Hutchinson and Conor Gallagher are players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer – according to various reports.

There have been some reports that left-back Marc Cucurella is not excluded from the conversation either. The Spaniard actually started all of Chelsea's final 12 league games last season, impressing under Mauricio Pochettino, and he has been brilliant for Spain at Euro 2024 as well.

Regardless, it is believed Chelsea could accept bids for Cucurella over the coming weeks, which would at least get his £175,000-per-week salary off the wage bill. They could be looking to recuperate a good portion of the £60 million they spent on signing him from Brighton, if they opt to sell him permanently, but a surprise report from Italy claims he could also depart on loan.

Juventus could sign Cucurella on loan from Chelsea

Indeed, Tutto Juve now say that Juventus could close a loan deal for Cucurella, dependent on certain details. A temporary deal with the option to buy him outright, but Chelsea will need to pay a portion of his wages if he is to swap the Premier League for Serie A.

It would be a bizarre move considering Maatsen's transfer to Villa, uncertainty surrounding Ben Chilwell after his England snub and how Cucurella is tipped to be a perfect fit for new manager Enzo Maresca.

"Maresca has an open-door policy and his philosophy should get the best out of full-backs," said journalist Ben Jacobs. "Marc Cucurella, who thrived in a late-season inverted role under Mauricio Pochettino, is the type of player perfect for Maresca's system."