Shortly after seeing Chelsea scrape through a Europa Conference League playoff against the team sitting seventh in the Swiss Super League on Thursday night, a group of senior Stamford Bridge officials arrived in Naples with the ambition of finalising Operation Osimhen.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s new head coach, had asked for two positions to be strengthened before the end of the transfer window. He wanted a centre-back and a top No 9. After months of flirting with the idea, Chelsea were willing to throw everything they had at landing the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Late on Friday night, though, the recruitment team had to admit defeat in their attempt to convince Osimhen to fit into Chelsea’s stringent wage structure. There was no new centre-back either, although there was still a flurry of activity.
Jadon Sancho was signed from Manchester United on loan with an obligation to buy and will compete with Pedro Neto, João Félix, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk for a place in attacking midfield. Raheem Sterling, who was told there was not enough room for him on the flanks, was hastily loaned to Arsenal.
The wisdom of those deals, along with the departures of academy products such as Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah, will only become clear in time. Outsiders inevitably see chaos. There is little cover for Nicolas Jackson up front and some unwanted players remain in the building. Inside Chelsea, though, they see a young team coming together and a progressive head coach capable of making an ambitious strategy work.
If part of the plan is having a sustainable environment with players on heavily incentivised contracts, then perhaps it was wise not to bust the pay structure for Osimhen.
But will the lack of a world-class striker make the difference in the quest for Champions League qualification? As ever, the question is whether Maresca will be given time. The Italian has made a positive early impression on his bosses since replacing Mauricio Pochettino, but teething problems were evident when Maresca’s second string lost the second leg of their Conference League tie to Servette.
Keeping the faith is imperative. Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, have defied convention by focusing on snapping up some of the most exciting young talents in the world. It could become something special but Chelsea know patience is important.
The vibe was measured after last Sunday’s 6-2 win at Wolves, who were torn to shreds by Palmer’s creativity and Madueke’s second-half hat-trick. Key figures viewed the performance as one that would simply build confidence in a long-term project.
It has always been wrong to claim that Chelsea have no plan. The real unknown is whether the plan will work. A lack of experience was an obvious shortcoming under Pochettino. There were tactical glitches in midfield and defence against Servette.
Yet what Chelsea like about Maresca, a tactical obsessive who pores over the smallest details, is having a manager with a defined style of play. Hiring the 44-year-old after seeing him win the Championship with Leicester was brave.
Those who know the Italian, though, see an individual with supreme confidence in his abilities. He has a similar philosophy to Pep Guardiola and believes he can rival his former boss. At West Ham, where Maresca worked as assistant to Manuel Pellegrini, there was huge respect for his work in training.
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Maresca, who was one of Guardiola’s assistants at Manchester City before joining Leicester in 2023, has made a similarly good impression at Chelsea. Players have warmed to their new manager. Maresca’s tactics are complex and it will take time for his side to adjust to his highly specific demands, but there is faith that the appointment will work.
Pre-season was challenging and Chelsea struggled against City in their opening game. Supporters are suspicious. The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has been odd and it will be interesting to see if Chelsea are inhibited when they host Crystal Palace. Maresca has heard fans grumbling about his side’s patient build-up play. He was accused of being one-dimensional at Leicester.
It is a work in progress. Chelsea conceded plenty of chances during the first half against Wolves, who exploited lingering frailties at set-pieces and in transitional play. Improvements are needed in defence, the partnership between the £220m duo of Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo remains an enigma in midfield and not every player will be taken along for the ride.
Maresca does not play with a traditional left-back, so Ben Chilwell is languishing in the so-called Bomb Squad. Axel Disasi, the French centre-back, is unlikely to play much because of his lack of ability on the ball. Maresca has been ruthless with the erratic Mudryk and some tough love has invigorated Madueke, who earned a first England call-up this week.
Chelsea’s view was that their squad would benefit from a more technical coach than Pochettino. Roméo Lavia, injured again, was seen as a better fit for Maresca’s midfield than Conor Gallagher, who has joined Atlético Madrid. Further forward, it is impossible not to be excited about the range of options in attack. Palmer was outstanding against Wolves.
Chelsea believe they can confound the critics by finishing in the top four. Maybe, just maybe, we will start to see method in the madness.