It was the conclusion to contrasting seasons at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland came up from the Championship and secured Europa League football. On the other hand, less than a year after winning the Club World Cup, Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and won’t even be playing in Europe next season.
This is the third time out of four seasons that Chelsea have failed to qualify for the Champions League. It would be an understatement to say that mistakes have been made in the BlueCo era, especially when you consider how much money that has been spent on this squad.
One thing it has proven is that you can never build a squad by completely focusing on youth and potential, and overlooking proven quality and experience. It has almost felt like an experiment at times. Hopefully, lessons have been learned.
Xabi Alonso might not have been impressed with what he has seen from the last two games since his appointment as Chelsea manager. The Spaniard will take over in the summer and he has a Herculean task on his hands. A lot of these players might not, and probably should not, be at the club next season.
Chelsea fans want Wesley Fofana to leave the club this summer
Wesley Fofana is someone who has never met expectations at Chelsea. He was once considered the most highly-rated young centre-back in the Premier League. But his development has fallen far short.
Of course, he has not been helped by the multiple major injuries he has suffered over the years. But right now, Fofana is a mediocre centre-back at best, with a penchant for making big errors. We saw another one today, as he was sent off against Sunderland. And it looks like a lot of Chelsea fans have seen enough.
One Chelsea fan wrote: “He doesn’t care, I’ve said it all season, he makes serious mistakes and decisions and acts nonchalant about it.”
Another was very open about not wanting to see Fofana play for the club again: “Hopefully his last ever appearance in a Chelsea shirt.”
Fofana reportedly not keen to leave Chelsea
Reports have suggested though that Fofana is not exactly keen on leaving Chelsea this season. And it is not hard to understand why.
After Fofana’s injury record and recent performance levels, it is hard to imagine that any club would be willing to match the wages he earns at Chelsea. His current contract runs for three more years, going to show the issue with handing out these long-term deals. The Frenchman had joined the club in 2022.
Realistically, the best that the Blues could hope for is a loan move or some Saudi Pro League club coming calling for the French defender’s signature. But it is more than likely that he will be a Chelsea player come next season as well.
Anyways, there are plenty of other centre-backs who could be on their way out of Chelsea this summer as well. There has been speculation around Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo. Trevoh Chalobah could be a potential candidate as well.