Chelsea transfers analysed as Maresca ‘rejects’ deal and £20m ultimatum made

Chelsea have a new manager. Enzo Maresca has been announced, and the summer can now truly begin.

The Blues are expected to once more be extremely busy in the transfer market with ins and outs likely to come throughout. With Maresca in place he will be keen to make the squad very much his own.

Although it is not yet clear just how much control the 44-year-old will have over recruitment – if any at all – it is understood that discussions have been held over the profiles he would like added in the coming months. football.london understands that a goalkeeper, centre-back, and midfielder are all seen as necessary.

Here, football.london takes a look at what the wider media are saying about the club and just how likely any of it is to happen.

Maresca says no

Maresca does not want Chelsea to push for Victor Osimhen this summer despite it being thought that a new striker is on his list of transfer demands. Reports in Italy say that the new boss isn’t keen on the idea of Osimhen coming in despite his record for Napoli.

The Nigerian is expected to cost over £110million and could pave the way for a possible move for Romelu Lukaku back to Naples. He would be joining up with Antonio Conte again if that deal were to happen, though it is said to be unlikely at this stage that any direct swap deal is completed, even if Napoli are the favourites to land Lukaku.

Maresca is instead hoping to bring in a player who excels at linking up, dropping deep, and offering support from further back as well as in the box. Osimhen has plenty of traits but it’s written that Maresca doesn’t see this as one of them.

football.london says: Chelsea not throwing everything at Osimhen makes sense. A third £100mililion signing in 18 months is simply ridiculous, especially with the mixed impact that Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have had so far.

Osimhen is a cheat code which would reward anyone that does splash out on him, but in a specific role like Maresca has for hit forwards, perhaps the fit isn’t the best. Let the 25-year-old do his thing and he will bring goals, that is for sure, but whether he would get that freedom or not is another thing entirely.

Hutchinson not going on loan

Despite triggering an extension in his contract, Chelsea are not willing to entertain loan offers for Omari Hutchinson this summer, Fabrizio Romano reports. The 20-year-old is a target for Ipswich, Stuttgart, and Feyenoord, but with a £20million price tag and no willingness to budge outside of a permanent deal, it remains to be seen what his future holds.

fooball.london understands that Hutchinson plans to have talks with the club when he returns from holiday, and that the appointment of a new manager – now known to be Maresca – was also expected to be important in his decision. It is now a case of him sticking with the first-team squad for the new season or being sold, it seems.

football.london says: This doesn’t send a great message. Hutchinson could hardly have done anymore to warrant a proper look next season, or even some more faith and trust, but making such a big ultimatum at an early age is bold. It feels unlikely given his competition and the potential arrival of Michael Olise or another winger, that he will force himself into the side.

That means a sale. Within a year of being at another club his value will almost certainly have risen to comfortably beyond the £20million asking price. The bottom line for Chelsea would be that a player signed for free would be flipped for profit within two years.

If that’s the direction of travel then it’s a pretty glum one. Hutchinson himself has a say in this and won’t want to be strung along by Chelsea but failing to offer more of a pathway for an impressive young player out on loan is not going to sit well with those looking to get their foot in the door at the club.

Hutchinson looks ready to make a serious step up into the senior squad after having a great year in the Championship. He could have provided cover for Cole Palmer on the right and offers exceptional workrate for an attacking player. His stay in west London looks like it might be a short one though, and that’s a big shame.