Six factors would have been the final expectation for Chelsea heading into the primary worldwide break of the season, and whereas Crystal Palace pegged Enzo Maresca‘s males again to say a draw on Saturday, there’s cause to be optimistic.
Stamford Bridge was all the time going to endure one thing of a transitional interval at the beginning of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and after exhibiting spirit of their loss towards Manchester Metropolis within the opener, Chelsea decimated Wolverhampton Wanderers one week in the past, profitable 6-2 at Molineux.
They could not repeat that free-flowing kind towards the steely Eagles, however a wealthy assortment of attacking expertise and a way of identification continues to knit collectively.
The membership’s resolution to permit Raheem Sterling to go to Arsenal may need raised an eyebrow or two, nevertheless it was the suitable transfer for a participant who had drifted from his new head coach’s plans.
Why Chelsea parted with Raheem Sterling
Arsenal have bolstered their frontline with Sterling, a straight mortgage signing, although Chelsea had been decided to ship him on after including Pedro Neto and Joao Felix to the ranks this summer time earlier than finishing the last-gasp switch of Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Talking of the brand new Arsenal recruit final month, Maresca stated, “He’s a implausible man however solely factor is each supervisor has a unique thought.
“He’s not the kind of winger I like… that claims nothing about him, the historical past and numbers communicate for Raheem”.
One of many Premier League’s most adorned gamers, Sterling will hope to get pleasure from a extra fruitful interval beneath Mikel Arteta, however he solely scored 19 targets throughout 81 matches and by no means actually justified the £50m price ticket and £350k-per-week wage at Stamford Bridge.
Certainly, the 29-year-old was Chelsea’s highest earner earlier than his mortgage transfer, along with his earnings now break up – albeit, the Blues are nonetheless forking out over half of his weekly pay packet.
One other high-earner wanted to go away Chelsea
It was essential to have taken Sterling out of the first-team squad and the identical could be stated for Ben Chilwell, however alas, the struggling left-back stays in west London.
Chilwell has endured a torrid time over the previous few years, restricted to only 30 Premier League begins because the begin of the 2021/22 marketing campaign attributable to recurring accidents.
He arrived from Leicester Metropolis for £50m in 2020 and performed an instrumental position in profitable the Champions League, however he is struggled since and has discovered his woes exacerbated by the appointment of Maresca, who doesn’t favour him and urged him to affix Sterling this summer time in in search of out a brand new membership.
That hasn’t occurred, and whereas Portuguese, Turkish and Saudi Arabian markets are but to slam shut, the 27-year-old does not appear to be he will be going wherever till January on the earliest.
For Chelsea, it is a frustration, with Marc Cucurella and teenage summer time arrival Renato Veiga forward of him within the pecking order, regardless of Chilwell incomes fairly the beautiful penny.
|
Chelsea: Prime Earners 2024/25 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Participant |
Wage |
|
1. |
Reece James |
£250k-per-week |
|
2. |
Ben Chilwell |
£200k-per-week |
|
2. |
Wesley Fofana |
£200k-per-week |
|
4. |
Christopher Nkunku |
£195k-per-week |
|
5. |
Enzo Fernandez |
£180k-per-week |
|
Sourced by way of Capology |
||
You may discover that there is fairly a noticeable omission on that highest-earning listing of Chelsea gamers. Certainly, Cole Palmer may need been rewarded with a profitable new contract final month following his jaw-dropping maiden yr on the membership, however the prodigious ahead nonetheless solely pockets a mere £150k-per-week compared.
Comparatively, that is not hundreds. However it’s an illustration of the revised wage technique beneath Todd Boehly and Co, with an emphasis on synthesising the collective earnings to face under that of sure Premier League rivals.
August switch rumours steered that the England worldwide was on Man United’s radar, however nothing materialised. Furthermore, Brentford had been eager on finishing a late deal however in the end moved to signal 18-year-old expertise Jayden Maghoma for a £10m price.
With Chilwell bleeding the membership of monetary assets and looking out decidedly unlikely to be returning to prominence in west London, there’s certain to be a rueful air across the incapability to discover a suitor to take him away.
