Chelsea have officially confirmed that four players will leave Stamford Bridge when their contracts expire on June 30, as the club releases its retained list ahead of the new Xabi Alonso era. The departing players are academy products Jimi Tauriainen, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Richard Olise, and Brodi Hughes, all of whom will not be part of the Blues' future under the incoming Spanish manager.
The retained list, published on Wednesday morning, confirms that all four players' contracts run out at the end of the month. Tauriainen, who joined Chelsea in 2020, made his first-team debut in the FA Cup fifth-round match against Leeds United in 2024 and later made a brief substitute appearance in the Premier League against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. Despite these appearances, the club has decided not to offer the Finnish youngster a new contract.
Sam Rak-Sakyi, a midfielder who has been with Chelsea's academy since the age of eight, featured four times for the senior side during his tenure. He contributed to the Blues' Conference League success under Enzo Maresca in the 2024/25 campaign. Richard Olise, the younger brother of Bayern Munich winger and former Chelsea academy prospect Michael Olise, will leave after more than 10 years at Cobham without ever making a first-team appearance. Similarly, Brodi Hughes departs without a senior outing for the club.
Fellow academy product Ronnie Stutter, however, will remain at Chelsea, with the striker placed on a month-to-month deal. The club's official statement concluded: 'We thank all our departing players for their contributions during their time with the Blues and wish them well for the next chapter in their careers.'
The departures come as Xabi Alonso prepares to take over as Chelsea manager this summer. On his appointment, Alonso stated: 'Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club. From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies. There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.'
