Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been in charge of the club for about three months, and has had enough time to form his opinions on those he sees as key to his plans going forward.
According to reports, the Spanish tactician is prepared for the club to sanction the sales of defensive duo Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana at the earliest opportunity.
The French defenders appear to have failed to impress the former Real Madrid boss so far this term, as neither can be said to be first-choice options in their respective positions.
They featured from the start of their Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool in mid-week as the Blues saw a good opportunity for silverware slip away.
Alonso now appears set to restructure his backline, and both Fofana and Gusto are set to be axed from the club.
Fofana, Gusto out: Why Xabi Alonso is ready to clear out defensive depth
According to journalist Dean Jones (via CaughtOffside), patience has worn thin in Alonso's eyes following a shaky defensive start to the season where Chelsea have struggled to keep clean sheets.
He has tested out several defensive combinations since pre-season before landing upon his first-choice arrangement, and neither Frenchman is included in the back four.
They have had opportunities to feature throughout the season so far, but have mostly failed to impress when called upon.
The boiling point arrived for Alonso during their Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, where both Gusto and Fofana featured from the start but struggled to impose themselves.
Playing at left-back, former Olympique Lyon man Gusto faltered in transition and struggled to contribute from an offensive standpoint until he was replaced by Marco Palestra in the second half.
Fofana endured a horrid evening, first high-fiving the ball to give away a cheap penalty in the first half before skying his penalty in the shootout.
With the emergence of Josh Acheampong and summer acquisition of Maxence Lacroix, Chelsea are prepared to listen to offers for the defensive duo, who cost them a combined £105 million.
Reshaping the backline: Market interest and future strategy
Chelsea remain linked with a number of defensive options and have a few others such as Tayo Subuloye and Genesis Antwi who are impressing in the academy and on loan, respectively.
These developments, combined with the fact that they believe that there will be significant interest in their players in 2027, have led them to decide to put them up for sale.
Malo Gusto previously attracted strong interest from Manchester City in the summer, with the Blues asking for £75 million to sell the Frenchman.
Fofana, on the other hand, may be more difficult to move on, despite his talent, as a result of his significant wages.
With potential suitors across the Premier League and Europe monitoring their availability, Chelsea's hierarchy hopes to recoup significant funds to reinvest in more tailored additions to their squad during upcoming transfer windows.
