Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in their first Premier League game of the season; Raheem Sterling was a high-profile absentee and released a statement; futures of Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and more in doubt, while Napoli's Victor Osimhen could come in...
Monday 19 August 2024 20:58, UK
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol answers the key questions around the on and off-field drama that's going on at Chelsea.
The Blues kicked off their Premier League season with defeat to Man City, which was marred by forward Raheem Sterling issued a statement after his omission from the matchday squad.
Amid a busy summer for new boss Enzo Maresca, Sky Sports News' chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol explains the story around some of those big issues...
Chelsea would listen to offers for him. He's on big wages compared to players they're bringing in and I feel Chelsea would like him to go. Perhaps that would be a potential loan deal, which could ease the wage burden.
But as he said in his statement, he has three years left on his contract and is within his rights to stay and fight for a place in the team. However, on Sunday, there were five wide players in the squad and he wasn't one of them.
Enzo Maresca spoke to him on Friday and explained for technical reasons he wouldn't be involved. If you read between the lines, the message being sent to him is his future may not be at this club.
I think Sterling has been told: 'we have a lot of players in your position, we will probably sign more players in your position as well. Someone in your standing and your experience, we want to let you know that now is the time for you to be looking at other options'.
I don't think he's someone who has threatened to go on strike or throw their toys out of the pram. What he has said is: 'There's only two weeks to go until the window closes. You're not leaving me much time.'
He's now considering all his options after missing out on the match-day squad to face his former side on Sunday. He's happy and settled at Stamford Bridge but will not stay at the club if he is not wanted. Any potential exit would have to suit all parties, including his family.
Sterling has communicated that he wants to speak openly with the club about his future and Maresca will hold talks with him. Juventus have previously made contact regarding his availability earlier in the window.
Chelsea have been diplomatic around Chilwell - but it's clear Maresca doesn't see him fitting into his style of play. He's still training with the first team, although he was ill last week.
But like Sterling, he is another big earner. The owners inherited a squad with many players earning big money and one of the main targets has been to cut the wage bill.
Now, the average wage is about £70k per week (with big bonuses and incentives). But the big earners have a target on their back. Kepa Arrizabalaga is another big earner - what's next for him after his loan to Real Madrid didn't work out?
The expectation at Chelsea is he will be leaving. The club gave him some time off after the move to Atletico Madrid stalled and he's had to start his pre-season almost from scratch. Interestingly, he wasn't listed on the club's matchday programme for the Man City match.
Chelsea have now agreed a permanent deal with Atletico for Joao Felix, which would allow Gallagher to complete his £36m (€42m) move to the Spanish side. Felix is expected to sign a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge, with the options to extend his stay for a further year.
The Spanish club have already spent big on former Man City man Julian Alvarez and needed to sell Felix before signing the English midfielder.
The fans certainly love Gallagher. He was captain for a lot of games last season and you could hear the fans singing his name when Erling Haaland scored Man City's opener.
Trevoh Chalobah, another academy graduate, wasn't listed on the matchday programme, either. Neither were Armando Broja - who seems set to go on loan to Ipswich - or Romelu Lukaku (more on him below).
From the owners' perspective, they will say they bought a club on its knees - and when they got inside, the club's situation was worse than they thought. Chelsea had been sanctioned by the government and were deemed to have fallen behind clubs such as Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal. They felt they had to start from scratch and they have replaced almost everyone - recruitment teams, medical teams, groundsmen… The pace of change is frightening.
A lot of Chelsea fans will say it wasn't that bad. They had a very good manager in Thomas Tuchel, they won the Champions League and were Club World Cup champions three months before the new owners arrived. The fans will say it didn't need emergency surgery - and perhaps they feel the soul has been ripped out of the club. That too much changed too quickly and they have been left with a starting XI they can't identify with.
The owners will counter that and say it will take time. But this is the season where you have to judge the owners. They have the structure, head coach, style of play and squad they want. There are no more excuses.
It was a strange decision and brings unwanted headlines, more controversy. He is still under investigation by FIFA for that incident.
Maresca says he made a mistake but it is more than making a mistake - you have to be seen to be punished. It would have been controversial just to play him but to make him captain? Reece James is club captain, although he is injured again and Maresca didn't clearly state James would remain captain when he was asked in pre-season, describing him as "one of the captains".
In contrast to Fernandez on Sunday, we saw Mateo Kovacic score the clinching goal for Man City, a central midfielder Chelsea sold for £25m cutting through a midfield which cost over £200m.
There is a lot of youth in this Chelsea team, but where are the leaders?
Napoli need Lukaku, Chelsea need Osimhen - the smart money is on those deals happening.
Osimhen would change the mood at Chelsea. He's the player Chelsea fans want. He has got the personality, experience and presence they need. Someone in the mould of Didier Drogba or Diego Costa. A superstar. But the problem is his wages.
Napoli can't afford him. They gave him a new contract but he's on massive wages. He wasn't involved on Sunday in their bad defeat to Verona and is training away from the first team. PSG are also in the mix but Chelsea know Napoli want Lukaku.
Chelsea don't want to pay over odds, though - and they won't be paying him £300k per week.
Chelsea have received an official bid from Napoli for Lukaku. It is understood the proposal is an initial loan with an obligation to buy. The total package is worth £25.5m (€30m) - including the loan fee.
Chelsea have made it clear they want a permanent deal and the offer falls short in two respects: the overall valuation and the fact that it is a loan plus an obligation are not satisfactory to Chelsea.
This is a deal which looks like it will happen - but closer to deadline day.
And that is when we can really judge the shape of this Chelsea squad: when the transfer window is closed, when the players who they want out are gone and the ones they want in have or haven't arrived.
