The Pride of London comment as perpetually injured centreback Wesley Fofana is given a rough Chelsea return date; news which bodes well for next season. Meanwhile an international Blues forward considers his Stamford Bridge exit; PoL assess that situation, too. Finally, PoL look at a rising player of the west London club and his slightly shocking valuation in relation to a colleague.
Prospective defensive prowess
The Chelsea defence has improved dramatically in the past few months. There are even top performers amidst the group who were previously thought to have no future with the Blues. Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella are the two in question, in my opinion. What a turnaround. Occasionally keeping the great Thiago Silva out of the side, as well as taking Ben Chilwell's place are respective feathers in caps.
There has actually been enough of an upturn in form that CFC could potentially qualify for the 2024/25 Europa Conference League. Again, in my view, that will be an almost miraculous achievement by formerly under pressure Chels' boss Mauricio Pochettino. Yes, plenty has been spent, but the squad was a seeming mismatched gamble on promising starlets.
However, 'Poch' has arguably worked wonders by working on the team mentality on Fulham Road. That is something he has received praise for in the past, alongside proficient man management, of course. I am absolutely positive that the Argentine has now won over the majority of the often discerning Blues fan base. Along with surely earning the respect of the roster.
The back line could now be further improved by returning captain Reece James. James is another who suffers from continuous injury setbacks. Though when on form and fit, the attacking right back is poetry in motion. He can be a force to be reckoned with in world football, hopefully. Although, Malo Gusto will be hard to shift, too.
Add the welcomed comeback of Ex-Leicester City centrehalf Wesley Fofana and Pochettino is really cooking. The Frenchman is expected to join teammates for the preseason tour of America, according to the CFC gaffer.
Raheem Sterling unsurprisingly mulling possibility of leaving Chelsea
A much-anticipated rumour is swirling around the Blues sphere at present: Sterling weighing up his options. If it is true that he wants more playing time and to revive his career - I'd say that a transfer is the best solution.
Conor Gallagher deserves his place at Chelsea and is more valuable than some imagine
This article's revelation caught my eye. PoL would love to hear your views on our social media pages:
"Impressively, Gallagher is now worth around £17m more than Caicedo and only valued lower [in the Blues squad] than Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez [via CIES' Football Observatory].
This value is a reflection on both his quality and his importance to the Chelsea side, as he’s slowly becoming an irreplaceable figure in the team, as shown by his appearances this season."