Enzo Maresca is already looking at how his new Chelsea side can and it’s possible that four players will be worth a combined £145m licence to make way for new signings, adding defender Benoit Badiashile, according to reports.
On Monday, Chelsea announced that Maresca had swapped Leicester City for Stamford Bridge by signing a five-year contract with the west London club, which includes a further 12 months. Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual agreement on May 21. .
Although Maresca’s inventory is superior after helping Leicester win the league title, with the Foxes completing the crusade with 97 points, it is still a risky appointment for Chelsea.
Maresca is 44 years old and Chelsea will complete his third spell as first-team coach, after Parma and Leicester.
But, for Chelsea officials, he is the best man for the task after the perfect task he performed at Leicester and after learning a lot from Pep Guardiola while serving as Manchester City’s assistant manager.
According to reports from Spain, Maresca has big plans for the Chelsea team and will start by pushing to sell several unwanted players.
Badiashile is one of the first players to leave Chelsea after the summer move-in window opens on June 14.
The centre-back has made 33 appearances for Chelsea but has fallen short of expectations of his original £35m value.
Maresca is satisfied with letting Badiashile go and that will play the game for AC Milan, who have been following him for a long time.
In the past, Milan have been linked with a loan for Badiashile, but now the Rossoneri have Maresca’s blessing and can set up a permanent move.
Badiashile is the only defensive star who could leave Stamford Bridge, as TEAMtalk revealed on Monday that Maresca has told goalkeeper Robert Sanchez that he can’t find a new club.
Maresca wants Chelsea to sign a goalkeeper who is better with his feet, with Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen and Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili emerging as the top two targets.
Sanchez, who cashed Chelsea £25m when he arrived last summer, is attracting interest from other Premier League clubs as well as Spanish teams.
It is reported that the £60 million failure Marc Cucurella will also be put on the moving market. Cucurella never looked completely convincing in a Chelsea shirt and was going to struggle to live up to his value after the club overpaid for him.
It is possible that Cucurella will remain in the Premier League after leaving Chelsea, as Man Utd and Aston Villa have been linked with wonderful moves for him.
The fourth player Maresca is happy to drop is centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. As Chalobah is a product of Chelsea’s academy, his sale would be considered a natural benefit on the club’s books, which would fund the relocation of a new centre-forward.
Chalobah has recently become a prime target for Man Utd as he takes a look at his ranks in central defence following the departure of Raphael Varane.
Chelsea will let the Englishman leave if Man United match his £25m valuation. Chelsea could earn £145m from the departures of Badiashile, Sanchez, Cucurella and Chalobah.