What if I told you that Chelsea spent a combined £130 million on two young stars that were supposed to carry the Blues into the next era? You would think that these players are among the best in the Chelsea squad and are the first names on Enzo Maresca’s team sheet.
Well what if I told you that these players have combined for just 48 appearances for Chelsea since joining in 2022 and 2023 respectively. You would think that something catastrophic had happened to either of these players because there is no other way they could stick around if they weren’t up to snuff.
In the case of Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, the two players discussed here, not just one catastrophe happened but a series of them. Fofana in particular has had two season-ending injuries since 2022 with an ACL and hamstring tear cutting promising seasons short for the Frenchman. He will miss the remainder of this season as well as the Club World Cup this summer.
For Lavia, he has never been able to get his Chelsea career off the ground due to a series of niggling injuries that never seem to go away. Unlike Fofana it is not one specific injury that ends his seasons but a multitude of them that keep popping up at the most inopportune times. Just days after making his return on March 16 and playing 8 minutes against Arsenal, he was back on the injured list with an unspecified injury.
Both players signed seven-year deals when they joined Chelsea a year apart so they have 4 and 5 years remaining respectively but it is time for the Blues to move on. It is not hyperbole to say that they both have world class potential but if they are unable to play then there is no way for them to reach that level.
To borrow an old saying, the best ability is availability and Lavia and Fofana are both lacking in that category. Chelsea need to find a way to get these injury prone stars off their books even if it means a series of loans where they cover much of their wages.
For a club like Chelsea that is trying to balance the books there is no reason that they should be spending £200k a week on Fofana and an additional £45k on Lavia for them to spend all their time in the training room. This is not to lay blame on these players for their injuries as they would surely rather be playing, but it is time for Chelsea to make a business decision.
Spending a quarter million pounds a week on two players that are unable to contribute is an easy path to mediocrity. Having them around also limits the development of other players or the potential addition of replacements because the hope is always there that they return. Chelsea need to find a way to cut ties and move on, even if it means taking a short term financial hit to accomplish this.