Enzo Maresca has had a busy summer already in the early stages of his reign in charge of Chelsea with plenty of players heading in and out of Stamford Bridge.
New players have been acquired following Maresca’s appointment as the manager of the West London club, succeeding Mauricio Pochettino. Maresca had previously led Leicester City back to the Premier League on his first attempt.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has transferred from Leicester City to Chelsea for £30 million. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo has joined on a free transfer from Fulham. Midfielder Omari Kellyman has moved from Aston Villa for £19 million, striker Marc Guiu has arrived from Barcelona for £5 million, and left-back Caleb Wiley has been signed from Atlanta United for £8.5 million.
To finance these new acquisitions, several players have been sold.
Defender Ian Maatsen’s transfer to Aston Villa generated £35 million, and Lewis Hall’s loan to Newcastle United was made permanent for an initial £28 million. Omari Hutchinson has permanently moved to promoted Ipswich Town for £20 million, while Hakim Ziyech has joined Galatasaray for £2.5 million.
Veteran defender Thiago Silva left on a free transfer, and another player signed by Thomas Tuchel in 2020 has also exited Stamford Bridge. Malang Sarr, who was signed from Nice on a free transfer, had his contract terminated to facilitate his move to Lens. It seems Maresca’s large squad could see further changes before the transfer window closes.
According to the Mirror, Chelsea could transfer up to twelve players this summer. Striker Romelu Lukaku is aiming for a permanent move to Napoli, and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was on loan at Real Madrid last season, has less than a year remaining on his contract.
Trevoh Chalobah has been omitted from the squad traveling to the USA for pre-season, indicating a possible sale of the academy product. England international Conor Gallagher, whose contract expires next summer, is also a candidate for departure.
Djordje Petrovic, last season’s starting goalkeeper, is considered a potential sell, and there are uncertainties regarding Ben Chilwell’s future as well.
Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana might also be sold, and Cesare Casadei is reportedly being watched by Lazio.
Alfie Gilchrist has stayed behind and is expected to go on loan to gain more experience, with Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu potentially facing similar moves. Additionally, young players Harvey Vale, Leo Castledine, Bashir Humphreys, and Alex Matos are also likely candidates for loan deals this summer.
