Trevoh Chalobah has been given the green light to leave Chelsea, according to reports. The 27-year-old centre-back is due to have his medical in Italian club Como today. As agreed, an initial fee of around £25 million, plus a further £5 million available in performance-related bonuses, will be paid to Stamford Bridge for his services.
The England international is understood to be agreeing a five-year contract soon, tying him to the Lariani until June 2031. The full package is worth around £31 million, with Chelsea receiving £25.7 million up front and £5.1 million in add-ons. The deal also crucially contains a sell-on clause that will allow the Londoners to make money again if Como sell the defender for a higher fee down the line.
Chalobah’s departure ends a near 20-year spell in west London. He was signed by the Chelsea academy at age 8, and his imminent move to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia marks the end of 20 years at the club. His hope for regular minutes this season had been comprehensively blocked after the £52 million signing of Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, which relegated Chalobah to possible cameo appearances under Xabi Alonso.
The defender still managed 52 appearances in all competitions last season, chipping in with three goals and a solitary assist.
Cesc Fabregas coy on Como’s continuing pursuit of Trevoh Chalobah
During his glittering playing career, Cesc Fabregas played for Chelsea and Arsenal and had been lobbying behind the scenes for more than six months to bring in Chalobah. The Spaniard had a brief overlap with the defender in 2018, but the pair never shared a competitive pitch together, and their reunion now comes to fruition in Lombardy.
This summer, Como has prioritised quality over just numbers in their recruitment strategy. Luis Milla, Mattia Liberali and Kaiki have already been signed up, the latter on a temporary basis. Fabregas was deliberately vague about the talks going on behind closed doors, speaking before the deal for Chalobah was sealed:
“We’re working well, it’s clear where we want to strengthen the squad.”
His statistics to back up his enthusiasm are convincing, and it is hard to disagree. Chalobah had the second most duels won (172) and the third most interceptions (50) of any Chelsea defender last season. With Champions League qualification secured via a fourth-placed finish last term, the defender is expected to take on an immediate leadership role.