Chelsea transfer news as Mauricio Pochettino’s squad has continued to take shape over the summer transfer window and the left-back position could now be cleared up
Marc Cucurella with some acrobatics in Chelsea training (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)×
Sign up to the free Chelsea newsletter for the latest Blues news straight to your inbox
No thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info
Mauricio Pochettino may have just hinted at the next order of business at Chelsea this summer.
Todd Boehly has added seven new faces to the playing squad at Stamford Bridge, spending nearly £200million on the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi and Robert Sanchez. There has also been a fair amount of exits this summer with regular first-team members ending their spell at Stamford Bridge.
N’Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy made moves to Saudi Arabia, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have moved to AC Milan and Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic have all joined Premier League rivals in a hectic summer period.
More incomings and outgoings are expected to be completed between now and September 1. Following the £25million arrival of goalkeeper Sanchez, the focus will now be on recruiting another centre-forward.
However, there remains a number of areas within Pochettino’s squad that require attention. The Argentine currently has three options at left-back heading into the new season, with Ian Maatsen and Marc Cucurella behind Ben Chilwell as first-choice.
Now, it has been reported that Pochettino has come to a decision regarding the future of Maatsen. According to the Evening Standard, the Blues boss has told Maatsen he wants to keep him at Stamford Bridge this season.
The report claims that contract renewal talks have begun having impressed throughout the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. Earlier in the window, the Dutchman outlined his ambitions to stay at Chelsea and he now looks set to compete with Chilwell next season.
Maatsen currently only has one year left on his current deal and a number of clubs are said to hold an interest in him. West Ham and Burnley are two clubs who were strongly linked, joining Champions League clubs Ajax and Lens in the race.
Pochettino’s decision to keep hold of Maatsen means Marc Cucurella could be sold this summer. Recently, Pochettino hinted that the former Brighton man could leave . Asked about the competition at left-back, he said: “At the moment he [Cucurella] is okay, he is good. All of the players start from zero. It’s about competing. We have him and Chilly also, and they need to compete for this position. Of course Ian, and Lewis, we have four players that play the same position.
“That is the balance we were talking about before. We need to add players as maybe in another position we miss some players and in that position we have four and sometimes the squad is unbalanced. We need to build a balanced squad to have the possibility to compete for a position but not have players who are going to be the third or fourth option to play and it is going to be impossible for one position, for four players to play for one place.”
Soucre: football.london
