The hiring process for the next Chelsea manager is now reaching a conclusion as Todd Boehly looks to find his Mauricio Pochettino successor.
Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi were both included in the original list which can be seen below, but it’s Enzo Maresca who's become the first-choice option.
The Italian doesn't have experience of leading a side in the Premier League, but he certainly knows how to win, as shown during his time at Manchester City as an assistant to Pep Guardiola.
It'll be a busy first few months at the helm for Maresca with a number of player's futures undecided at Stamford Bridge.
What the future holds for Trevoh Chalobah
Having progressed through the academy ranks, Trevoh Chalobah has become a frequent first-team player over the past three seasons.
Unfortunately, this campaign hasn’t exactly been brilliant for the defender, having missed the majority of the season through injuries, sitting out of 32 games in total.
This has inevitably had an impact on his market value, with the Blues now reportedly open to selling the 24-year-old this summer.
According to a report from The Telegraph, Chelsea have set a £25m asking price for Chalobah as they look to improve the “club’s profit and sustainability situation.”
To put that into context, it's a price tag worth more than the likes of captain Reece James (£17m) and the same as Christopher Nkunku's current worth, as per CIES Football Observatory.
Given his age, profile, and the fact that he’s a homegrown talent, selling Chalobah for such a little fee seems like a poor decision, especially considering he’d be fantastic under Maresca if he were to join.
Why Chalobah would be perfect for Maresca
Injuries have completely ruined Chalobah’s 2023/24 campaign, hindering his chances of impressing Pochettino.
His Premier League appearances have been limited to 13, with ten of those being starts, but during these games, he’s shown enough to be handed a true opportunity under the next boss.
Chalobah is an extremely well-rounded defender who can operate at both centre half and right back, which makes him a valuable asset to have in the squad.
In order to play both roles, the number 14 has extreme technical ability, defensive security, and athleticism, which makes him the perfect defender for Maresca's 4-2-3-1, as the right-back inverts into midfield, meaning that the wide centre-backs must be able to defend space well and progress the play.
Touches
69
Passes completed
52.4
Pass accuracy
90%
Balls recovered
3.5
Tackles
1.2
Dribbled past
0.4
Duels won
3
Another aspect of his game that would suit the Italian's style perfectly is just how confident and comfortable he is on the ball, which enables him to play out from the back.
Under the Foxes boss, it’d be expected that all of his defenders are brave during the buildup phase, and Chalobah’s 69 touches per game and 90% pass accuracy prove he’d be up for the task.
Because Maresca's team always dominates the ball, as shown by their 62% possession this season – the second highest in the Championship – it’s important that, from an out-of-possession perspective, his defenders are proactive and aggressive, which suits Chalobah’s profile also, given his defensive actions shown above.
Overall, to have such an incredible talent in the squad who would slot into a Maresca team perfectly is incredibly lucky, and to let Chalobah go for just £25m seems unreasonable.
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