Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that the club’s primary focus in the current transfer window is to offload players to address their financial situation. The club, under American owner Todd Boehly, has been remarkably active in the transfer market over the past two years. They have spent over £160 million ($211.5 million) on 11 new signings this season alone, including notable additions like winger Pedro Neto, forward Joao Felix, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. While Chelsea has managed to sell players like Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid and defender Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa, their squad remains bloated, with over 40 senior players registered. This poses a significant challenge in complying with the Premier League’s strict profit and sustainability regulations.
Maresca emphasized the club’s economic priorities during an interview with the Chelsea website: “The target is to solve the economic problem in terms of selling players. From there, we try to do our best and see where we arrive.” The club’s struggle to offload players is well documented, with a group of about 15 high-earning players, including England internationals Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling, being frozen out by the manager and not training with the first team.
While the financial situation takes center stage, Maresca is also focused on improving the team’s performance. He stated: “For us, the target at this moment is to improve players. No one from the club asked me to compete for the Premier League, or compete for a Champions League spot. I want to see my team play the way we want to play and compete every game. I want to see on the ball a clear idea of what they want, and off the ball, a very aggressive team. The most important thing is to be better game after game.”
