Enzo Maresca is already looking at how he can improve his new Chelsea squad and it could see four players worth a combined £145m leave to make room for new signings, including defender Benoit Badiashile, according to reports.
On Monday, Chelsea announced that Maresca had swapped Leicester City for Stamford Bridge by signing with the West London club on a five-year contract, which includes the option of a further 12 months. Maresca has replaced Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual consent on May 21.
While Maresca’s stock is high after he helped Leicester win the Championship title, with the Foxes finishing the campaign on 97 points, it is still a risky appointment from Chelsea.
Maresca is only 44 years old and Chelsea will be just his third spell as a first-team manager, following time at Parma and Leicester.
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But Chelsea officials believe he is the right man for the job after the great work he did at Leicester, and after he learned lots from Pep Guardiola while working as Manchester City’s assistant manager.
According to reports emerging from Spain, Maresca has big plans for the Chelsea squad and will start by pushing to sell several unwanted players.
Badiashile is one of the first players who could depart Chelsea after the summer transfer window opens on June 14.
The centre-back has played 33 games for Chelsea but has failed to live up to the expectations of his initial £35m price tag.
Chelsea transfers: Enzo Maresca to ditch four players
Maresca is happy to let Badiashile leave and this will play right into AC Milan’s hands, as they have been monitoring his situation for some time.
Milan have previously been linked with a loan move for Badiashile, but now the Rossoneri have Maresca’s blessing they could engineer a permanent transfer.
Badiashile is far from the only defensive star who could leave Stamford Bridge, as TEAMtalk revealed on Monday that Maresca has told goalkeeper Robert Sanchez he is free to find a new club.
Maresca wants Chelsea to sign a keeper who is better with his feet, with Filip Jorgensen of Villarreal and Valencia shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili emerging as two early targets.
Sanchez, who cost Chelsea £25m when joining last summer, has interest from other Premier League clubs as well as teams in Spain.
Reports add that £60m flop Marc Cucurella will be put on the transfer market, too. Cucurella has never looked totally convincing in a Chelsea shirt and was always going to struggle to live up to his price tag after the club paid way over the top for him.
Cucurella could stay in the Premier League when leaving Chelsea as Man Utd and Aston Villa have both been linked with surprise moves for him.
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The fourth player Maresca is happy to ditch is centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. As Chalobah is a product of the Chelsea academy, his sale would go down as pure profit on the club’s books, which would help them fund a move for a new centre-forward.
Chalobah has recently emerged as a top target for Man Utd as they look to improve their centre-half ranks following the departure of Raphael Varane.
Chelsea will let the Englishman go if Man Utd match their £25m valuation. Chelsea could resultantly make £145m through the departures of Badiashile, Sanchez, Cucurella and Chalobah.