With hours left* until the close of the transfer window, Chelsea has banished over 13 players to train with the U21s, sending the clear message that there's no space for them in a squad already too big for the average manager, yet the Blues have turned their sights on embattled Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho.
Enzo Maresca has coolly replied reporters who say that the Blues have over 40 players on their roster, pointing out that he has banished over 13 of them to the U21s. The 44-year-old seems to think that banishing players to the U21s changes the fact that the club has too many players, rather than emphasizing it.
Chelsea, according to famous Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, has put in a formal bid for Sancho, and this is a ridiculously senseless move for many reasons, the most obvious being that the West London side does not need him.
Chelsea has signed 11 players in this window already, three of which are forwards. That number doesn't sound like much, until you realize that the Blues already had too many forwards even before the window opened.
Even after ostracizing 15 players, Chelsea still has Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Marc Guiu. This was before the two-time UEFA Champions League winners secured the services of Joao Felix and Pedro Neto.
That makes them nine (9) attackers for five spots, and with the west London club aggressively targeting Napoli's Victor Osimhen, it's likely to be 10 players for five spots. Sancho's name - you may notice - is not on this list yet.
"Well that just means that they'll have two players for every position, that's not bad, that's squad depth!" and it would be, if several of these players didn't get in each other's way. Squad depth usually has a recognized starter and a recognized backup (who could win the starting place with stellar performances).