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Chelsea have had another typically dramatic transfer window, making a host of big-money signings and further bulking up a squad that seems to be bursting at the seams.
The likes of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Filip Jorgensen have all been signed for a total far exceeding £100m, but they might not be finished yet.
While Chelsea continue to be linked with several players, the big news with just a week of the window remaining is around potential exits, with the storm surrounding Raheem Sterling attracting headlines. The winger was left out of the squad for last weekend’s Premier League opener against Manchester City, after which his representatives released a statement claiming they would be considering their options.
And Enzo Maresca has since admitted that Sterling and left-back Ben Chilwell are unlikely to feature this season. He said: “I spoke with Raheem [Sterling] before Manchester City, I said that he is going to struggle to get minutes with us. With Chilly [Chilwell] I said he is a lovely guy, but with his position, he’s going to struggle with us. It’s not brutal, it’s honest.
“I am not working with 42 players, I am working with 21 players [in first-team training]. It’s not a mess like it looks from outside. The other players can even have 20 years contract, it is not my point. I don’t care.”
Sterling, according to the Evening Standard, would prefer to stay in the Premier League and does not want to move to Saudi Arabia. Juventus are reportedly interested in the 29-year-old, but his family are said to be settled in London and a move abroad is not his first choice.
Chilwell, meanwhile, has been offered to Manchester United, according to talkSPORT. The full-back fell out of favour last season and is behind Marc Cucurella in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
There could yet be another incoming transfer, too, with Chelsea targeting Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. Sky Sports claim a move for the Nigeria international is likely before the window closes, with Romelu Lukaku expected to go in the other direction and join the Serie A club.
And the Athletic report that Chelsea could make a late move for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who is valued at £80m. His high wage demands and the sizeable fee could prove a deterrent for the Blues, though, after their significant outlay on both Neto and Felix.
