Opinion: The 3 Chelsea transfer questions that would trouble Enzo Maresca straightaway
Accepting a position at Chelsea is never simple since you will have a lot on your plate if you are chosen to be their new manager. The manager will be plagued by a severe headache, and Enzo Maresca will need to exercise his power by making three crucial transfer decisions.
Take Mauricio Pochettino’s time at Chelsea as an example; he took charge of a squad with no experience and a disorganised squad which had plenty of deficiencies. He managed to make things happen, but it wasn’t enough to change the mood of the board, and they decided to part ways with him last month.
Maresca is on the verge of becoming the next Chelsea coach, and the club is set to announce his appointment soon. He will certainly be making decisions about the future of players such as Romelu Luakaku and Conor Gallagher and signing a new goalkeeper.
Maresca will have a say on Gallagher’s future at the club, given that the Blues are open to selling him in the summer to generate pure profit. Under Pochettino, the England international was one of the best midfielders, but Maresca’s style of play is way different from Pochettino’s chaotic football. Gallagher’s future may depend on how well he fits into Maresca’s system. The 24-year-old’s only weakness is his lack of game technicality, which is increasingly crucial in today’s game.
However, the club sees Gallagher as a big profit which will help them generate profit and comply with Premier League PSR rule, so it will interesting to see what the Italian coach thinks of the 24-year-old and if he will fit into his system.
Lukaku is another player; the Blues want to get rid of him permanently and he has no intention of going back to Chelsea. Nevertheless, the team has loaned him out twice because they were unable to find a long-term home for him. They’re hoping to find a team that will be interested in signing him to a long-term contract in the summer.
Chelsea will attempt to bring in a new striker and are linked with the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen. Lukaku’s exit will offload his big wages off the books and free up space for the club to sign their No.9 target.
Maresca’s most important player in the team is a goalkeeper who should possess incredible distribution skills because the Italian coach will use him as an outfield player, and his system needs a custodian who can play from the back. Roberto Sanchez and Dorde Petrovic were signed last season, but Sanchez seems to have fallen out of the pecking order while Petrovic isn’t great on the ball despite his excellent stopping ability.
Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga will return from his loan stint at Real Madrid and Chelsea are already planning on selling the Spanish goalkeeper, the 29-year-old has excellent distribution but his small stature makes him a misfit under Maresca style.
Chelsea are linked with Las Palmas goalie Alvaro Valles, who boasts great distribution from the back and also has excellent shot-stopping qualities, and Maresca would be keen to have such a goalkeeper in his team next season.
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