Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca certainly made an interesting comment during his pre-match press conference on Friday morning.
At the moment, Chelsea are preparing for their opening game of the new Premier League season on Sunday at home to Crystal Palace.
It was a successful debut season for Enzo Maresca as the Blues head coach last year, securing a top-four finish in the league and two cup trophies. Now, the external expectation and pressure are greater on the young squad at Stamford Bridge.
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Enzo Maresca at Chelsea across all competitions
Steve Sidwell thinks Chelsea are one signing away from winning the Premier League, so it will be interesting to see what happens during the remainder of the summer transfer window.
Blues head coach Enzo Maresca looks on from the Chelsea bench prior to the pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen.
Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Enzo Maresca suggests Chelsea owners won’t grant his transfer wish
Maresca made it pretty clear this morning that he wants to sign a new central defender this summer due to Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury. However, he seems to suggest that the Chelsea owners won’t grant his wish because they are looking internally for solutions in defence.
“I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think,” Maresca said via Chelsea’s YouTube channel.
Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, lead the transfer activity at Stamford Bridge. However, Chelsea’s owners sign off on key decisions, including transfer business.
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Even though there’s still time left in the summer window to sign another defender, Maresca didn’t sound too optimistic about the chances of it happening.
In terms of internal solutions, the Blues centre-halves include Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah. Is that good enough to launch a serious Premier League title bid, though?
It’s been reported that Chelsea could look to sign a centre-back on loan, so perhaps it’s not all doom and gloom for Maresca just yet.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca speaks during a pre-match press conference before facing Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Wesley Fofana is so pivotal
We’ve seen in glimpses that Chelsea defender Fofana, 24, can be a world-class performer, but he’s been plagued by injuries since he joined the club from Leicester City in 2022.
If he can stay fit, and we understand why fans are sceptical about it, he could be a game-changer.
Troy Deeney is a huge fan of Fofana, stating he’s one of the world’s best defenders when he plays. With Colwill absent because of a long-term injury, it feels even more important that Fofana returns and plays in the backline.
You could argue that Fofana would feel like a new signing if he can sort his fitness out, something we’ve seen from club captain Reece James in 2025.