Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca dismissed claims on Wednesday that he was overseeing a “mess” of a squad following the club’s latest round of transfer activity.
Portuguese forward João Félix has signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, marking his return to Stamford Bridge after a less-than-impressive loan spell from Atlético Madrid during the 2022/23 season. Félix’s arrival has coincided with Conor Gallagher’s move to Atlético in a swap deal.
Despite now having one of the largest squads in the Premier League, Maresca made it clear that veterans Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are not part of his future plans.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Conference League play-off against Servette, Maresca defended the club’s transfer strategy. “I am not working with 42 players; I am working with 21 players in first-team training,” the Italian manager clarified. “It’s not a mess like it looks from the outside. The other players can have 20-year contracts, but that’s not my concern. I don’t care.”
Addressing the status of Sterling and Chilwell, Maresca added, “At the moment, they are training separately from the squad. We have a big squad, and it’s impossible to give everyone minutes. If they want more game time, it might be better for them to leave. But if they stay, they are still Chelsea players under contract.”
Maresca was more optimistic about the return of Félix, especially after Chelsea’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in their Premier League opener. “He’s a talented player. The club already knows him from his previous loan here. He can play in multiple positions for us, whether it’s inside, as a number nine, or out wide,” Maresca said.
While the transfer fee for the former Benfica star was not disclosed, UK media reports suggest Chelsea paid £40 million ($51 million) to secure Félix’s permanent move from Atlético. Félix joined Atlético in 2019 and made 131 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side, including a loan stint at Barcelona last season. During his previous six-month loan at Chelsea, he made 20 appearances and scored four goals.
“I loved my time here before, and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day,” Félix told Chelsea’s official website. “To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling, and I’m excited to be back.”
In a related move, Conor Gallagher completed a permanent transfer to Atlético Madrid after a proposed deal for Chelsea to acquire Atlético striker Samu Omorodion fell through last week. Gallagher had been training alone since returning to Chelsea after being spotted in Spain ahead of his planned £33 million transfer. The 24-year-old midfielder, who won the 2019 Europa League with Chelsea, departs after making 95 appearances and scoring 10 goals for the London club.
