Maresca's brutal honesty devalues unwanted Chelsea players
New Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca doesn’t stop talking. Why would any club pay asking prices for its unwanted players? And why would any player sign long-term deals at Chelsea now?
Maresca has continuously taken a hard line on unwanted players at the club. The Blues have more than 40 senior players and are feverishly trying to offload unfavorable stars.
In a recent press conference, reporters asked Maresca about how he is personally dealing with having 42 players. The Italian responded by claiming that the situation is “not a mess” as it may seem from the outside. Nevertheless, he contradicted this statement by also stating he was not even working with half of his roster. At the time, 21 players were training away from the first team setup.
Among the biggest stars to be outcasted by Maresca is Raheem Sterling. The winger has been a mainstay in the team since he arrived in 2022. He also is currently the highest-paid player at Chelsea. Despite this, the new coach does not rate the Englishman and has publicly called for his departure.
Maresca’s unwanted Chelsea players: Blues already failed to get asking price for star forward
Coaches regularly have to deal with similar situations regarding unwanted players. Maresca, however, is likely devaluing Sterling and other stars by being so open with his feelings. Why would potential buyers be willing to meet Chelsea’s asking prices for players that they publicly don’t want anymore?
The Blues have already experienced an instance of this with Romelu Lukaku. Chelsea previously signed the center-forward for around $120 million in 2021. The move, however, will go done as one of the worst transfers in Premier League history. After being sent out on loan the last two seasons, Blues brass were adamant about selling the Belgian forward.
Earlier this summer, Chelsea slapped a price tag of about $44 million on Lukaku. The veteran expressed his desire to join Napoli and former coach Antonio Conte. Nevertheless, Napoli refused to meet Chelsea’s demands for a player that they did not want. Lukaku’s move to the Italian club was finally made official on Thursday for a fee of $33 million.
Blues may have to accept lower fees due to Maresca’s comments
Maresca once again spoke openly about Sterling and the other unwanted players on Wednesday. The coach insisted that the undesired stars at the club would not receive any playing time if they remained on the roster. “The ones who are not involved are not going to be involved and they won’t get any minutes if they stay,” declared Maresca.
With the European transfer window set to soon close, Chelsea is finding it difficult to offload players in time. Maresca’s comments are seemingly not helping the situation. Juventus and Manchester United have reportedly shown interest in Sterling but neither team will likely meet the west London side’s demands for the player.
Sterling, in particular, could even opt to stay with the Blues to collect his massive $22 million annual salary because of the way he has been treated. The English winger still has three more years remaining on his current contract with Chelsea. This would be a terrible situation for the club.
Taking a hard line on certain players and wanting to mold the squad is a regular theme for managers. Maresca’s choice, however, to be so open and brutally honest in several press conferences only hurts the team. Blues ownership is at fault for bloating the squad in recent seasons. Nevertheless, the coach should have had more restraint in his feelings towards Sterling and company to keep valuations relatively high.
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