Trevoh Chalobah is not ruling out staying at Chelsea this summer despite the club once again being open to a sale. football.london understands that Chelsea will consider offers for the player even though he ended the season as a key member of Enzo Maresca's defence.
Chalobah was kept away from the senior team last year as Chelsea sought to move on from the academy graduate. He was made to play and train with the Under-21s along with a host of other players in what became known as the 'bomb squad.'
Chelsea took his shirt number away from him - opting to give it to Joao Felix - with it being later revealed that Chalobah had an emotional attachment to it. The club are not seeking to force him out this year as they were last summer, but a sale cannot be ruled out.
After no permanent deal emerged 12 months ago, Chelsea sent Chalobah to Selhurst Park only to recall him in January when left short at the back following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Reece James. It was made clear that Chalobah's long-term future was still likely to be away from Stamford Bridge even at that stage and that he was viewed as an ideal stop-gap.
Admirably, he holds no resentment and has instead used it as a reason to continue growing as a person and a player. "I see it as it's part of football, it's part of life," he said to the Football Daily podcast.
"Sometimes you're gonna have things out of your control and all you can do it focus on the future and focus on what I can do to get myself ready. I didn't see it as a negative or a bad thing, I just took it in my stride as a positive, got my head down and focused on what I could do wherever I went to."
The 25-year-old has constantly had to put the noise behind him and went on to start 11 Premier League games with 19 total appearances in the second half of the season back at Chelsea. Chalobah was part of the side that won the Conference League and secured a top-five finish, achieving the goal of qualifying for the Champions League.
Chelsea remain interested in buying a new centre-back this window, though. Jorrel Hato, Marc Guehi, and Ousmane Diomande are players that the club like, football.london understands, with any addition set to be competing with Chalobah and the other defenders in a well-stocked backline.
That has not stopped Chalobah from keeping his head down and working hard to impress Maresca as he fights to have another day at Chelsea again. "I've still got three years left [on my contract] so I'm just focused on Chelsea at the moment and whatever happens happens," he said whilst on duty for England.
"I just focus on the now and leave all the noise surrounding me or my future. I'm looking forward to the Club World Cup. Getting my first international call-up has been amazing but staying in the team is not easy so its important next season if I'm at Chelsea or not that I get ready and keep performing."
Chalobah was called up by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who gave him a breakthrough at SW6 in 2021. Tuchel and Chelsea had been happy for Chalobah to leave then as well before an opening came up. Chalobah took it and never looked back.
He has now racked up 99 games for his boyhood club. It took Chalobah loans at Ipswich Town, Huddersfield, and Lorient before he made his debut but since then he has consistently forced his way into every head coach's thinking at Chelsea, regardless of the hurdles in his way.
The reward for his displays at Crystal Palace and Chelsea this season was to be named in his first England senior squad. Chalobah has played for the Three Lions at age-group level between Under-16s and Under-21s.
(Image: PA)
Tuchel recognised his performances and offered Chalobah a call-up for the end-of-season matches against Andorra and Senegal this week. Chalobah had already been playing well when at Palace under Oliver Glasner but managed to get up to speed quickly with Maresca.
"It wasn't necessarily a point to prove because I've been at Chelsea the last three years and played in the Champions League and Premier League," he explained of his feelings when returning.
"It's nothing to prove, for me it was about getting games and showing my quality. It was important for me to show what I can do in every game and every training session. Coming back, knowing the team and the manager, I slotted in easily and wanted to show the level I can get to."
Levi Colwill, James, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke are also included in the latest England squad. Chalobah's former academy teammates Guehi, Conor Gallagher, and Tino Livramento are all involved as well.
All of these players have gone on to thrive away from Chelsea. For Chalobah, if he is to go this summer, he knows that it is far from the end of his career at the top level.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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