Jamie Carragher thinks Enzo Fernandez and four of his Chelsea teammates could push for exits in the near future.
Fernandez could even leave Chelsea now, with the midfielder being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
It has been claimed that Fernandez wants to become a Real Madrid legend, which is not the kind of thing Blues fans want to hear right now, especially with the team underperforming.
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Leon Goretzka of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the Ball
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Jamie Carragher thinks Enzo Fernandez, Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro could all want to leave Chelsea
Fernandez has been one of Chelsea’s best players this season, so Liam Rosenior will not want to lose the 25-year-old.
He will be desperate to keep hold of Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro as well, but Carragher doubts that will be easy and has predicted that all five players will become unhappy.
Speaking on Stick to Football, the Liverpool legend said: “And I can’t believe the Enzo Fernandez stuff. I think Chelsea got five or six brilliant players, like really, really good. I think of Reece James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer. I think the lad up front is going to be a good player, Pedro. I think he looks like a really good player.
“What I’m saying is, my point being is, eventually they’re going to go, ‘What… is this? I should be playing in a team that are going for the Champions League.'”
A dejected Enzo Fernandez
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
The above comes amid Chelsea’s struggles in the Premier League and Champions League humiliation.
The Blues have lost back-to-back games in the English top flight, leaving them outside the top five. As things stand, then, they will not qualify for Europe’s elite competition.
Right now, Rosenior’s men do not seem ready to compete in the Champions League anyway. They were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, losing the second leg 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Some supporters would probably prefer to watch the team in the Conference League or Europa League and win one of those trophies. However, Chelsea will take a massive financial hit if they find themselves in either tournament instead of the Champions League next term.
Who is likely to stay at Chelsea and who is likely to leave
Out of the names Carragher has mentioned, Fernandez and possibly Palmer are probably the only ones you can see departing within the next few years.
Fernandez may soon have his heart set on Real Madrid, if he does not already, while Palmer has too much ability to be playing in a team that is unable to challenge for anything serious. If the Englishman recaptures the form he showed in the 2023/24 season, it would not be a shock to see Real Madrid also target him, for example.
James and Caicedo, on the other hand, seem to love Chelsea, while Pedro will be content being at the Blues after arriving from a mid-table club like Brighton & Hove Albion. His ceiling is not as high as the others, so he is unlikely to attract as much attention.
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