Nigerian international John Obi Mikel and Spanish international Fernando Torres have been named among stars who will likely have to find new clubs as English Premiership title chasers Chelsea get set for a mass clear-out of more than 10 players in the summer.

“Mikel has found himself frozen out since Nemanja Matic joined for £21m in January and Chelsea hope he can command a large fee because he has three years left on his contract,” says London Evening Standard.

The paper reports that Manager Jose Mourinho admitted after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace that changes had to be made in order to improve the squad for next season.

“While the Portuguese again revealed his frustration over his underperforming strikers, a number of players in different positions are on their way out,” the report says.

According to the report, “The senior members of the squad who are vulnerable include Torres, Demba Ba, Samuel Eto’o, David Luiz, Mikel, Cole and back-up goalkeepers Mark Schwarzer and Hilario.

“Anxious to adapt to Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules, the club want to bring down the wage bill, which means they will let Luiz leave for £30million and are prepared to sell some of the 28 players currently loaned out including Romelu Lukaku, Marko Marin, Victor Moses, Ryan Bertrand, Gael Kakuta and Josh McEachran.

“Mourinho is determined to make some high-profile signings, including Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa, to improve their ability to challenge on all fronts and is aware he has to raise funds to bring in the quality he wants.

“The club have run out of patience with Torres, who has two years left on his £175,000-a-week contract. He has scored just four League goals this season and if a permanent move cannot be secured, a loan one is a possibility.

“Ba has confirmed he will be leaving Stamford Bridge after failing to make an impact since joining from Newcastle 15 months ago.

“Eto’o has been Chelsea’s best forward with 11 goals and the club have an option to keep him for another season when his contract runs out in May but no decision has been made on that.

“Cole’s deal expires at the end of the season, too, and he is expected to leave having not started a League game for more than two months.”

The report reveals that Chelsea are also prepared to cash in on Brazil international Luiz. Paris St-Germain and Barcelona are both interested in his services. It notes that significantly, Mourinho substituted Luiz at half-time at Selhurst Park for “tactical reasons” and has rarely played him in his preferred central-defensive role this year.

Continuing, the report says: “With the club looking to bring Thibaut Courtois back from his loan at Atletico Madrid to compete with No1 Petr Cech, veteran keepers Schwarzer and Hilario are likely to be released.

“Chelsea are also confident they can make a significant profit on their loan players. Lukaku has scored 13 goals at Everton but his relationship with Mourinho has soured and he has had a price tag of £20m-plus put on his head.”

On the fate that awaits another Nigerian international, Victor Moses, the report says that he and Marin, “at Liverpool and Sevilla respectively, cost £16m between them in 2012 and are not part of the Chelsea coach’s plans, so permanent moves will be sought.”

It adds: “Chelsea are hoping to buy Luke Shaw to compete with Cesar Azpilicueta for the left-back slot next term, which means Bertrand is also surplus to requirements. Bertrand, 24, is at Aston Villa — his sixth club on loan — and wants to stay there. Youngsters Kakuta and McEachran have failed to fulfil the potential shown when they made the breakthrough under former boss Carlo Ancelotti and can go, too.”

Mourinho, the report further notes, “dropped a major hint over his intentions at Selhurst Park. “We want to improve the team and the players and make some surgical movements in the transfer window,” he said.

“Normally at the end of the season, players that are not playing a lot or who are not happy and prefer a change, that is also part of the market.”

•Photo shows John Mikel Obi.

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