This feels like a never-ending season. Just a couple of weeks back, Chelsea secured a spot in the Champions League by winning away at Nottingham Forest and then won the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis. Now, preparations are underway with the Club World Cup around the corner and Liam Delap has already been signed, while moves for Mike Maignan and Jamie Gittens failed.
Quite a few surprising names were left out of Chelsea's Club World Cup squad. One that caused controversy was Djordje Petrovic, who is coming off an stellar campaign away on loan at Strasbourg.
Even last summer, a lot of Chelsea fans believed that Petrovic was the best goalkeeper that the club had. Those feelings have only been strengthened with his Player of the Season-winning campaign with Strasbourg.
But as reported by The Telegraph, it was Petrovic who asked to be omitted from the Chelsea squad to focus on a move. He wants to be a guaranteed starter, something that the Blues cannot offer. Should the Serbian goalie fail to secure a permanent move away that meets his demand, will rejoin the squad for pre-season training.
Chelsea player asks to leave after fantastic season
Unfortunately, despite his great performance on loan at Strasbourg, it does not look like Enzo Maresca views Petrovic as a starter. In that situation, an exit might be the best path forward for the Serbian.
At 25 years of age, he needs to be starting games on a regular basis. He might not get that chance at Chelsea, even though they don't have a settled number one.
One has to wonder why Chelsea did not try to sign Caoimhin Kelleher this summer, who ended up at Bournemouth for a £12.5 million initial fee. He is a Premier League-proven goalkeeper and would have been a great addition to the Blues. But it looks like the club are more concerned about finding the next gem rather than signing ones readily available.