'He must get rid of 15 players' – Chelsea legend's blunt message to Xabi Alonso

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has urged new Blues manager Xabi Alonso to dramatically reduce the club's squad, insisting that at least 15 players must leave before the transfer window closes.

Chelsea currently have an estimated 45 senior players under contract, creating what Leboeuf believes is an unsustainable situation for the club's new head coach.

Several fringe players, including Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Marc Guiu, have already been separated from the main first-team training group as Chelsea work to streamline the squad ahead of the new Premier League season.

The club has already begun reshaping the squad, with academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah reportedly nearing a move to Serie A side Como, while further permanent transfers and loan deals are expected in the coming weeks.

Speaking to ESPN, Leboeuf said Alonso faces one of the biggest challenges of his managerial career.

"I think they have like 45 players. They have to get rid of some of them. And of course, Xabi Alonso will have to get a selection of the players and maybe get rid of 15, at least 15 players. That's insane, but it's what he has to do. Otherwise, you cannot work," Leboeuf said.

The former France international believes an oversized squad could create unnecessary tension and make it difficult for Alonso to maintain harmony in the dressing room.

"You cannot work properly every day, week in, week out, to make sure that you have everybody tuned in. So it's going to be hard. He's going to get rid of the players he doesn't want, because whether they are here or not, they're going to create problems inside the dressing room," he added.