Chelsea set to miss out on millions and Enzo Maresca only has himself to blame

Chelsea are kidding themselves if they think Carney Chukwuemeka will sell for £40million this winter.

That is the sum they asked for during the summer, when Enzo Maresca publicly revealed that he would not be a regular starter in his Premier League XI. “I think it’s important he plays 30 or 35 games in a row,” said the Italian. “Is he going to play that for us? I’m not sure.”

Sure enough, Chukwuemeka has been left scrambling for first-team opportunities this season. Three substitute appearances in the Carabao Cup and the Europa Conference League are all he has to his name, despite Maresca routinely making 11 changes to his first-choice line-up when his side turn out in cup competitions.

By Maresca admitting that Chukwuemeka is a long way down his pecking order, and then backing that up by consigning him to the sidelines, Chelsea have lost a huge chunk of their bargaining power when they come to try and sell him in January.

Teams can squeeze more money out of suitors if they at least come across as though they are keen to keep the player in question. But clubs interested in Chukwuemeka will not need to do too much digging to find out that he is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca may have been better off keeping his cards close to his chest. According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea would now be willing to entertain offers ‘some way below’ the £40m they asked for earlier this year.

And that is just as well, with newly-promoted Ipswich Town reportedly showing the most serious interest. The Tractor Boys’ record transfer fee is the £20m they splashed on Omari Hutchinson in June.

Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea for the same price in 2022, having broken into Aston Villa’s first team as a promising teenager. Now 21, the former England Under-20 international started brightly in west London before his 2023/24 season was disrupted by injury.

It now seems as though the Blues may only be in a position to secure a small profit, if any at all, on their midfield youngster.

Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia occupy the two deeper-lying midfield roles in Maresca’s line-up, with Enzo Fernandez offering a £107m option from the bench. And there is little chance of Chukwuemeka forcing his way into attacking midfield past the red-hot Cole Palmer, who is the first name on the Chelsea team sheet.