Chelsea have hinted at imminent departures after handing the shirt numbers of two first-team players to new signings during Saturday's pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad.
The Blues won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, with Joao Pedro scoring twice and Morgan Rogers netting on his debut after his £116million move. Enzo Fernandez returned as a second-half substitute and received a mixed reaction when he took the captain's armband from Reece James.
New arrivals wear familiar numbers
Summer signings Maxence Lacroix and Pep Chavarria made their first appearances for the club, and the numbers on their shirts caught the eye. Lacroix wore No5, currently owned by Benoit Badiashile, while Chavarria wore No29, which has belonged to Wesley Fofana for several seasons.
Fofana instead wore No3, vacant since Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid. Valentin Barco, an unused substitute, was given the No4 shirt worn by Tosin Adarabioyo during pre-season.
Duo expected to leave
Neither Badiashile nor Adarabioyo were in the matchday squad against Real Sociedad. Standard Sport understands both are among the players expected to move on before the transfer window closes.
Adarabioyo is attracting interest from Benfica and other top-flight clubs, while Chelsea have agreed a loan deal with Napoli for Badiashile, including an option for a permanent transfer at the end of the season.
Club statement on numbers
Chelsea have not officially confirmed the change. A statement on the club's official website at the start of the month said: "Supporters should note that during pre-season, the shirt numbers worn by all players may not be representative of their finalised squad numbers for the 2026/27 campaign. Further detail on this will be provided in due course."
Chelsea are expected to announce their squad numbers before their next match against Fulham, and Saturday's selections may signal what is to come.
