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Chelsea news: Blues linked to double transfer swoop under noses of Liverpool and Real Madrid

Chelsea have made a difficult start to the 2025/26 season, with some fans unhappy with Enzo Maresca after their recent loss to Brighton in the Premier League

Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s

06:30, 30 Sep 2025

Enzo Maresca of Chelsea FC gestures during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between FC Bayern München and Chelsea FC at Football Arena Munich on September 17, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

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Chelsea are on the hunt for more stars to add to their ranks(Image: Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

Chelsea must regroup and refocus on the Champions League following another disappointing Premier League outing. The Blues have suffered consecutive losses in the top-flight after a late 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday – a result made worse by Trevoh Chalobah's sending off.

Trophy success in the Club World Cup and Conference League last season had fans optimistic that Chelsea would start this campaign on a high note. However, it's been a shaky beginning for the west London side, who currently sit 8th in the early league standings with an equal tally of wins, draws and losses.

The weekend loss has led to some supporters calling for Enzo Maresca's dismissal as Chelsea manager, despite the fact he's dealing with a depleted first-team squad due to injuries and suspensions. Senior officials have weighed in on the Italian's position at the helm, ahead of their Champions League clash with Benfica.

In other news, Chelsea may already be setting their sights on the next transfer window, targeting two players who are also on Liverpool and Real Madrid's radar.

Here, Star Sport delves into three of the biggest stories emerging from Stamford Bridge.

Marc Guehi potential deal

Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace looks on during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on September 20, 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

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Marc Guehi could be tempted to Stamford Bridge(Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

Wayne Rooney is convinced that Chelsea will join London rivals Arsenal in battling Liverpool for the signature of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. The centre-back seemed destined for a switch to the reigning Premier League champions during the summer transfer window.

However, Palace chairman Steve Parish scrapped the £35million transfer at the eleventh hour after Guehi's potential replacement, Igor Julio, joined West Ham on loan instead. The Eagles star can now depart for nothing when the season concludes, as his contract runs down - and numerous clubs are circling for his signature.

Premier League legend Rooney believes Guehi finds himself in the best position, with the freedom to pick his next destination. Speaking on his podcast, the former Manchester United striker said: "He's in a great position. I've heard a lot of people saying that he's acted with class. What he's done is he's probably gone into the owner and the manager and said, "Listen, I want to leave", but he's just gone in and trained.

"He's gone in and been a team-mate which you have to do. You can't say, "Right, I want to leave", and not turn up for a week or two weeks. He's done his job which he gets paid to do and that's all he's done!"

When asked where he might head if he were in Guehi's shoes, Rooney hinted that Chelsea could be a possibility. He added: "Definitely not Liverpool. I think he'll have options and I think not just in England, in Europe he'll have options.

"I've just got a feeling that Arsenal and Chelsea might come in and they might try and take Liverpool out of it. But Liverpool, for me, is the best city in the world so if he does join he can enjoy everything about Liverpool, but I just hope he doesn't because he will improve them."

Nico Paz battle

Nico Paz of Como celebrates his goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and US Cremonese at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Como, Italy.

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Nico Paz is also on the Blues' wishlist(Image: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

Chelsea are also tipped to enter the hunt for 21-year-old midfielder Nico Paz, who moved to Serie A outfit Como from Real Madrid last year. The former Madrid talent was snapped up for just over £5m and has caught plenty of attention in Italy, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists across 41 outings.

Real inserted a buyback clause into Paz's deal when he departed the club in 2024, with the fee set between £7m and £10m to bring him back to Madrid. However, if the La Liga giants opt against re-entering the chase for the attacker's services, then Maresca could be free to negotiate with Cesc Fabregas' outfit for the player.

Como would be seeking just under £70m to part with Paz next summer, according to CaughtOffside, given his contract runs in Italy until 2028.

With the Blues battling injury woes throughout their squad, Maresca might be tempted to invest heavily in promising youngsters who could help revive their domestic and European campaigns this season.

Maresca sack verdict

Enzo Maresca, head coach of Chelsea, looks dejected after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on September 20, 2025 in Manchester, England.

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Enzo Maresca has been told his position is safe for now(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Maresca has faced some strong criticism following Chelsea's inconsistent start to the season. However, it's reported that the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge aren't planning to show him the door if results against Benfica and Liverpool this week don't go as planned.

Despite a shaky start to the campaign, the Blues' manager has had to contend with injuries to key players, including Cole Palmer, and has already received two red cards. The club currently sits eighth in the Premier League but has advanced to the next round of the Carabao Cup.

The Chelsea boss admitted his team needs to stop making easy mistakes that benefit their opponents, referring to Chalobah's sending off as a "present" to Brighton. Speaking post-match, he said: "For sure, you cannot continue to make mistakes, also because they are big mistakes in terms of the game changing, the red card at Manchester United and the red card today.

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"The message that we just said inside the dressing room has been quite clear: against any team in the Premier League, you cannot continue to give away presents, because what we are doing at the moment is to give away presents in terms of red cards. That is a big mistake because the game completely changed."

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