Chelsea has made Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling available to other clubs following the decision that they are no longer part of the team’s future plans.
Why does Maresca not want Chilwell and Sterling?
New manager Enzo Maresca has taken a decisive approach regarding certain players at Chelsea, indicating that he has no future plans for them. Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling are the most recent individuals targeted for departure as the club aims to finalize transfers before the summer window closes.
Additionally, Chelsea have finally transferred Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid after a long and difficult transfer saga.
Chelsea face the necessity of offloading players, as they currently have 46 individuals under contract. It is evident that Maresca intends to remove those players who do not align with his tactical vision.
However, Maresca has emphasized that only 21 players are currently participating in training with the club, suggesting that Chelsea is looking to part ways with approximately 10 to 15 players.
Maresca said: It’s the job of every manager to keep them all happy but it’s almost impossible. Only 11 will play. It’s almost impossible to keep them all happy.
“I try always to be honest with all of them. The noise is more outside because I am working with 21 or 22 players since we are back from USA. I am not working with 42 or 43 players but more than 15 players are training apart.”
Fan frustrations
Joao Felix has recently become the latest addition to Chelsea, bringing the total expenditure to £1.15 billion since Todd Boehly assumed control from Roman Abramovich in 2022. This figure reflects the current state of the club and the growing frustration among supporters regarding the frequent changes in management each season, which hinder the players’ ability to develop cohesive relationships on the field.
Supporters are also discontented with the extended contracts awarded to players like Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson, who have struggled to make a significant impact, while talented players such as Conor Gallagher, who excelled last season, are now being urged to depart from the club.
Maresca faces the challenge of improving upon Chelsea’s sixth-place finish, which led to Mauricio Pochettino’s departure; otherwise, he risks being dismissed, considering the owners’ limited patience.
Although Maresca demonstrated promise at Leicester, he has only managed 67 senior games prior to Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City, raising concerns about his experience and capability to elevate the Blues to the next level.
Where will Sterling and Chilwell go?
Ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming Europa Conference League play-off match, Maresca was questioned regarding the fate of Sterling and Chilwell.
He said: “They are training apart. As I said, the situation is quite clear and there is not any update on the situation. They are Chelsea players until they are not Chelsea players. But it’s impossible to give them all minutes. Those who want minutes, they are better off to leave.”
“I try to be honest. I spoke with Raheem (Sterling) before the City game. I said he’s going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason.
“With Chilly (Chilwell), he is a lovely guy but he will struggle. If you define this as brutal, it’s up to you to decide. For me, it’s not brutal, it’s just honest.”
Juventus are interested in Sterling and Chelsea have offered Chilwell to Manchester United as The Red Devils are without a proper left-back again with Luke Shaw facing another period on the sidelines with injury.
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