Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed concern about the number of players on the pitch, but it seems Todd Boehly is keen to forget about the Italian’s complaints.
As the 44-year-old prepares for his first Premier League game for the Blues, Maresca has been forced to reduce his squad to 22 players to convey his tactical messages to his players.
This has affected some brutal potential options in terms of team planning, with Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku all reporting that they will not be staying with the club for long. The quartet has also reportedly been excluded from the first team’s educational facilities. .
Maresca showed that Gallagher’s upbringing was “outside” the team as he waited for his £33m transfer to Atletico Madrid to be completed. But he pressed the board that having “43 players” on the eve of the new season could hurt the game. of the Chelsea team.
“We spent 20 days in America with 28 or 29 players. We have guys who are worried and who exercise separately,” Maresca said at a press conference on Friday.
“At the moment it is not difficult. If I start thinking I have 43 players, it’s probably not a smart thing to do. “
The Blues began to reduce their large squad, which was overflowing with 46 players in their squad. In the 24-hour area, Diego Moreira joined Strasbourg on a permanent contract, Mason Burstow signed for Hull City and Lesley Ugochukwu joined Southampton on a season-long loan at St Mary’s.
Gallagher, Lukaku, Broja and Chalobah are set to leave, while Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben Chilwell and Djordje Petrovic are also at new clubs. But even if those players are sold before the transfer deadline, the Blues’ extended squad still outnumbers most of the elite.
Asked about potential departures, Maresca passed the ball to sporting administrators Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart as they both sought loans for young players and recouped some of the movement fees from their £217m summer spend. Pounds.
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“This query is for Paul and Laurence. They are looking for answers for those types of players,” Maresca added. “I’m not guilty of finding answers for young players, otherwise they have to pay me double [laughs]. “
Despite Maresca’s call-up and 10 new signings this summer, Boehly, along with his recruiting managers Winstanley, Stewart, Sam Jewell and Joe Shields, are racing to secure new signings.
Talks are underway with Atletico Madrid over Joao Felix, who could be in position for a moment at Stamford Bridge, as the Portuguese has “agreed” to move to west London, according to Fabrizio Romano.
They also remain interested in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, with Chelsea holding talks with the Partenopei over a complex deal that could see them pay £38m upfront and send Lukaku and Cesare Casadei in the opposite direction.
While Osimhen and Felix would add undeniable firepower to the Chelsea squad, they would also increase the number of players Maresca could draw from and provide him with a dilemma over team selection.
But as long as Boehly remains in charge, the Blues will continue to spend big in the trade market, with their coach’s blessing.
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