It is safe to say that we might have seen the last of a lot of these players in a Chelsea shirt today. Xabi Alonso is set to arrive as the new manager this summer. And it is hard to imagine that he will be thrilled with what he saw on the final matchday of the campaign. The only positive might have been a goal from Cole Palmer, which should have done his confidence a lot of good after being dropped by Thomas Tuchel from the World Cup squad. Now, he can get summer’s rest after four years.
In many ways, this match felt like Chelsea’s season in a capsule. Wesley Fofana was shown a red card. Malo Gusto scored an own goal. The players had no control over the game. And by the end, it was another loss in an important moment, when a win would have secured European football.
Now, we head towards the summer. Of course, the aim is for Chelsea to always be in Europe. But then, it might help them next season, with a lot less football to play. Can Alonso do an Antonio Conte? Probably not. But never say never.
For that to happen, there needs to be a major rebuild of the squad. One player who is heavily linked with a move away is Enzo Fernandez. And Kieran Gill dropped an update on what the Argentine midfielder’s situation is looking like right now in his column on the Daily Mail.
What are inside sources saying about Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea future
Gill has shared that Chelsea sources claim there is no concrete update from their side and that they remain only rumours. But an excerpt from the article also reads:
The speculation that City are determined to snap him up could yet prove true, of course. Fernandez considers himself an elite player, worthy of competing at the highest level. Chelsea will not be there next term.
It remains to be seen. It was hard not to read into Fernandez’s body language at full-time as he waved to the supporters.
Was it a goodbye until next season or forever? We do not know. But we shall find out soon. There could be a lot of factors still at play, before anything can be said for certain.
Manchester City are set to bring in Enzo Maresca
It was an emotional day for Manchester City as they said goodbye to Pep Guardiola. He will get a stand in his name and a statue outside the stadium. And deservedly so, after what he has achieved there. 20 trophies in 10 seasons. That speaks for itself.
As for Chelsea, they will be hoping that Alonso can have a spell even half as good as Guardiola’s. The club certainly need a direction. And in many ways, this feels like the last roll of the dice from BlueCo.
Coming back to Fernandez, City look set to hire Enzo Maresca as Guardiola’s replacement. He worked very successfully with the Argentine midfielder during his time at Chelsea. So, it is not hard to see why the two might be keen on a reunion, at a club where the chances of success are higher, truth be told.
That being said, it might ultimately depend on what kind of transfer fee Man City are willing to pay to sign Fernandez. Chelsea would like to recoup most of the £106 million they spent to sign him from Benfica three-and-a-half years back, if they do sanction an exit.