Chelsea will be determined to hit the ground running this season under Enzo Maresca.
The pressure on the Italians shoulders is likely to be almost intolerable given the evident need for league and cup success for the club’s owners, something that was seemingly beyond Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter, not that either were really given the time to put their methods into practice.
Just when Poch was getting things right, a decision to part by mutual consent was made.
Thomas Tuchel was also swiftly dismissed by Todd Boehly, who had evidently decided it was time for a change soon after taking over as owner of the club.
From Maresca’s point of view, the strength of the club’s transfer window this summer is likely to have a marked effect on how well Chelsea do in the first half of the campaign, which will also have a direct correlation to the manager’s own position.
One player that the Blues are known to have had in their sights for a while now is Napoli’s brilliant hit-man, Victor Osimhen.
Victor Osimhen deal could be revived by Chelsea
With a reported £113m release clause (The Standard), Osimhen’s hire by Chelsea would’ve seen them almost certainly at the top of the spending charts again, however, more recently the player has edged nearer to a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
It isn’t clear if the structure of the deal is what had seen PSG move ahead of the Blues in the race to bag the 25-year-old, however, there may yet be hope for Boehly and Co.
??? Negotiations between PSG and Napoli for Osimhen, not advancing after recent talks.
PSG rejected to include Kang-in Lee in the deal and will not trigger release clause as Napoli wanted.
Deal NOT happening under these conditions.
PSG also happy with Ramos & Kolo Muani. pic.com/R46085YcyQ
— Fabrizio Romano (July 22, 2024)
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, talks between the French giants and their Italian counterparts have stalled.
That could see Boehly revive Chelsea’s interest in a player who would be the perfect replacement for Romelu Lukaku – the Belgian surely going the other way as part of any deal.
