Six points would have been the general expectation for Chelsea heading into the first international break of the season, and while Crystal Palace pegged Enzo Maresca’s men back to claim a draw on Saturday, there’s reason to be positive.
Stamford Bridge was always going to undergo something of a transitional period at the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and after showing spirit in their loss against Manchester City in the opener, Chelsea decimated Wolverhampton Wanderers one week ago, winning 6-2 at Molineux.
They couldn’t repeat that free-flowing form against the steely Eagles, but a rich assortment of attacking talent and a sense of identity continues to knit together.
The club’s decision to allow Raheem Sterling to go to Arsenal might have raised an eyebrow or two, but it was the right move for a player 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 loan signing, though Chelsea were determined to ship him on after adding Pedro Neto and Joao Felix to the ranks this summer before completing the last-gasp transfer of Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Speaking of the new Arsenal recruit last month, Maresca said, “He’s a fantastic guy but only thing is every manager has a different idea.
“He is not the type of winger I like… that says nothing about him, the history and numbers speak for Raheem”.
One of the Premier League’s most decorated players, Sterling will hope to enjoy a more fruitful period under Mikel Arteta, but he only scored 19 goals across 81 matches and never really justified the £50m price tag and £350k-per-week salary at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, the 29-year-old was Chelsea’s highest earner before his loan move, with his earnings now split – albeit, the Blues are still forking out over half of his weekly pay packet.
Another high-earner needed to leave Chelsea
It was necessary to have taken Sterling out of the first-team squad and the same can be said for Ben Chilwell, but alas, the struggling left-back remains in west London.
Chilwell has endured a torrid time over the past few years, limited to just 30 Premier League starts since the start of the 2021/22 campaign due to recurring injuries.
He arrived from Leicester City for £50m in 2020 and played an instrumental role in winning the Champions League, but he’s struggled since and has found his woes exacerbated by the appointment of Maresca, who does not favour him and urged him to join Sterling this summer in seeking out a new club.
That hasn’t happened, and while Portuguese, Turkish and Saudi Arabian markets are yet to slam shut, the 27-year-old doesn’t look like he’s going to be going anywhere until January at the earliest.
For Chelsea, it’s a frustration, with Marc Cucurella and teenage summer arrival Renato Veiga ahead of him in the pecking order, despite Chilwell earning quite the pretty penny.
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
You might notice that there’s quite a noticeable omission on that highest-earning list of Chelsea players. Indeed, Cole Palmer might have been rewarded with a lucrative new contract last month following his jaw-dropping maiden year at the club, but the prodigious forward still only pockets a mere £150k-per-week in comparison.
Comparatively, that’s not loads. But it is an illustration of the revised wage strategy under Todd Boehly and Co, with an emphasis on synthesising the collective earnings to stand below that of certain Premier League rivals.
August transfer rumours suggested that the England international was on Man United’s radar, but nothing materialised. Moreover, Brentford were keen on completing a late deal but ultimately moved to sign 18-year-old talent Jayden Maghoma for a £10m fee.
With Chilwell bleeding the club of financial resources and looking decidedly unlikely to be returning to prominence in west London, there is bound to be a rueful air around the inability to find a suitor to take him away.
75% duels lost: Maresca must surely drop 6/10 Chelsea ace after Palace
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ByAngus Sinclair Sep 2, 2024
