It seems like Enzo Maresca only joined Chelsea yesterday, yet he is still having his own say on how the club should be ran, and which players are in his plans. This is bound to split the Chelsea fanbase in two but from my perspective, it is good to see the new manager assert his authority. After all, he's inheriting an absolute mess, so however he goes about tidying that mess should be his discretion.
However, Chelsea fans will not like to treatment of one player in particular. In the opening Premier League fixture, Raheem Sterling was missing from the squad entirely. This is despite the English winger being one of Chelsea's best players last season and available for selection.
Fabrizio Romano confirms transfer-linked Chelsea duo are ostracised
According to an update from Fabrizio Romano on X (formerly Twitter), Raheem Sterling has received the necessary feedback on his future from Enzo Maresca. It is believed that both Sterling and Ben Chilwell, both players linked with a transfer away from Chelsea, have been omitted from the first-team plans and they are training externally to the Chelsea first-team.
🚨🔵 Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are now officially OUT of Chelsea project as they are training apart from first team.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2024
Enzo Maresca: “I just try to be honest… I told Raheem he’s going to struggle to get minutes with us. Chilly, he’s going to struggle here too”. pic.twitter.com/k9NdHUeeDc
In his own words, Maresca said: “I just try to be honest… I told Raheem he’s going to struggle to get minutes with us. Chilly, he’s going to struggle here too”
So, this all but confirms that Sterling and Chilwell are on the Chelsea transfer list. Since they are not part of the first-team plans at Chelsea, fans should hope they both receive an offer within the next week and change, since this is when the Premier League transfer window closes. Both players are good enough to start for most Premier League teams, after all.
Last season, Raheem Sterling made 31 Premier League appearances. He scored eight league goals and provided four league assists for Chelsea, acting as one of their best players in the front-line, particularly at the start of the season.
Ben Chilwell made significantly less appearances for Chelsea last season. In the 2023/24 Premier League season, the full-back made just 13 league appearances, managing one assist in those appearances. It is worth noting that he was plagued by injuries last campaign and now, the Chelsea squad has developed without him.
Do you think Enzo Maresca is right to ostracise Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling?