Maresca misunderstanding – Chelsea will only buy new defender if this fan favourite leaves | OneFootball

When Enzo Maresca was asked on Friday night about Levi Colwill’s season ending injury and whether that would mean Chelsea are going into the market to find a solution, he said that was a “priority.”

Chelsea less likely to buy than Maresca implies

Enzo Maresca speaks to Channel 5 at full time.

There’s no denying what he said – he seemed to be very clear that Chelsea were going to buy somebody. But in fact there was always a suspicion that he hadn’t quite understood the question. Even if the plan was to buy someone, he wouldn’t have been so open about it and tipped his hand like that.

Nizaar Kinsella’s reporting for the BBC today seems to back that up. He claims that Chelsea are actually “reluctant” to go into the market for another player.

“The plan remains to use players from inside the squad,” Kinsella writes.

That means Benoit Badiashile and Josh Acheampong can expect to play a lot more minutes. Wesley Fofana will remain first choice when fit, while Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah will compete to play alongside him.

Axel Disasi is still expected to be sold, although there’s been precious little concrete interest in him.

The conditions necessary for Chelsea to make a sale

Kinsella adds that there is a “slight chance” that Chelsea buy someone – but only if they sell Chalobah. He’s the only player they are open to selling (beyond Disasi, who is effectively already considered gone)., but the academy kid isn’t pushing to go, so we can’t see anything happening there.

Right now it looks a lot like we will be signing nobody – and that means exciting chances for all of these defenders competing for minutes to establish themselves as Maresca’s go to man. This looks set to be another great year to be Trevoh Chalobah.