Chelsea’s new coach, Enzo Maresca, faces a challenging Premier League debut as champions Manchester City visit on Sunday. The Italian coach is working to build a cohesive team after yet another chaotic transfer window for the Blues.
Under the ownership led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, Chelsea has continued its pattern of heavy spending, this time focusing on acquiring young talent. The highlight of their nine new signings, which cost an estimated £160 million, is winger Pedro Neto’s £54 million ($65 million) move from Wolves.
Despite spending over £1 billion on signings in the past two years, Chelsea now lists 43 first-team players on its website, with over 50 still under contract, including those out on loan. Many players have been sidelined from Maresca’s pre-season training as they seek moves before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
“If I start thinking about having 43 players, it’s not a good situation,” Maresca said on Friday. “Paul [Winstanley] and Laurence [Stewart], the co-sporting directors, are responsible for finding solutions for these players. I’m not the one to handle loan arrangements, or else they’d have to pay me double!”
Maresca also faces the challenge of winning over a frustrated fan base. Many Chelsea supporters had hoped for stability after Mauricio Pochettino’s late-season turnaround that secured a sixth-place finish in the Premier League. However, the club’s management opted for further change, leading to Pochettino’s departure after just one season. Fans are also displeased with seeing homegrown players sold to balance the books.
Conor Gallagher is unavailable for Sunday’s match, despite the collapse of his transfer to Atletico Madrid.
Maresca has been given a five-year contract following his success in leading Leicester City back to the Premier League in his first season at the King Power Stadium. The 44-year-old’s only other senior managerial role was a brief stint at Parma in 2021, but his experience working alongside City boss Pep Guardiola played a crucial role in securing him the Chelsea job.
“All managers need time,” Guardiola said on Friday. “I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to get it, but give him time, and it will work.”
Despite working at some of the world’s wealthiest clubs, Guardiola prefers managing a smaller squad to maintain team harmony. He sympathizes with the situation Maresca has inherited. “When you see a double squad, it’s a lot!” Guardiola added. “But why they do it is not my concern.”
The last time Chelsea defeated City was in the 2021 Champions League final. Just over three years later, only Reece James and Ben Chilwell remain from that victorious Chelsea team.
Maresca is confident the Blues are on the right path to eventually challenge City for the Premier League title. “The big difference between us and the teams dominating English football right now is just time,” he said. “Clubs with the same manager for nine or eight years—while we’ve had ours for only a month. But with time, we will close the gap. Hopefully, it will happen soon.”
However, the question remains whether Maresca will be given the time needed to succeed, given Chelsea’s history of impatient ownership.
