In an ideal world, Trevoh Chalobah would already be excited and looking forward to what is set to be a fascinating season for Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino took charge of the Blues' squad for the first time on Monday at Cobham as he got to know his new players better. The Argentine even hosted a barbecue for the club's staff on his first day in his new role as he tries to introduce a new culture at Cobham – a feeling of togetherness.
Chalobah was amongst the players that got to work with Pochettino on his first couple of days at Chelsea, unlike some of his teammates who have been given extended breaks given after representing their international sides in recent weeks. At some point, though – like many of Chelsea's players – Chalobah will need to sit down with Pochettino and his staff to discuss his role going forward at the club.
football.london understands the defender is open to leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, but he will not actively push for a move away. The feeling is mutual and Chelsea would be open to allowing Chalobah to leave if the right offer came their way but if a solution cannot be found, then they would be more than happy to have the 24-year-old around.
Pochettino, in an ideal world, would like to have four centre-backs to choose from in his first-team squad and by all accounts, it looks like those players have chosen themselves somewhat. Thiago Silva, who has been Chelsea's most consistent defender since joining the club on a free transfer in 2020, will have another season in west London after signing a one-year extension to his contract in February.
Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana impressed during his debut season with the club last time around. The France international was consistent for the majority of his performances but unfortunately his campaign was disrupted by injury problems.
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Benoît Badiashile joined the club in the January transfer window and despite many thinking he was one for the future, the 22-year-old defender showed an immediate impact on the pitch. The Frenchman impressed with his old-school defending style and his modern-day on-the-ball attributes. However, he suffered a serious hamstring injury towards the end of last season but football.london understands he is targeting a return in the next couple of months and is back doing gym work.
Levi Colwill is returning to the club as well following his successful loan spell at Brighton. The 20-year-old defender has plenty of clubs interested in signing him this summer but Chelsea are insistent the centre-back is not for sale at any price, so it certainly looks like he will be a key figure in Pochettino's setup next season.
So it looks like four central defenders – on paper at least – are ahead of Chalobah in the pecking order. So a big decision does await the Chelsea defender this summer. football.london understands Chalobah wants first-team football so he can challenge for a place in the England squad for the European Championships next year.
Inter Milan have a long-standing interest in Chalobah. The Champions League runners-up held initial talks with Chalobah and Chelsea over a possible move last month, but nothing advanced from those negotiations.
Chalobah also has interest from the Premier League. Newcastle United are considering making a move this summer for the Cobham graduate, while West Ham United have also expressed their keenness in signing the talented centre-back.
Chelsea are in a good position when it comes to possibly selling Chalobah because of his contractual situation. The Sierra Leone-born defender put pen to paper on an extension on his contract that now runs until 2028 with an option for the club to extend a further 12 months. So there's still five-to-six years left to run on his deal, meaning Chelsea are under no pressure to sell the defender whatsoever.
The club have already generated more than £200million in player sales this summer and the window has been open for just over three weeks. Mason Mount, who has now joined Manchester United in a deal worth around £60million, is the latest player to leave Stamford Bridge, bringing the money generated past the £200million-mark.
Mount joins the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N'Golo Kante out of the door at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea promised to be ruthless this summer when it came to clearing out their squad, after what was a dismal 2022/23 campaign, and so far the club have more than lived up to that promise.
Christian Pulisic is expected to join them in the coming days. AC Milan remain interested in the American winger after seeing an initial bid for his services turned down. Lyon also expressed an interest but Pulisic wants Champions League football at his next club, something the French side cannot offer.
Hakim Ziyech, too, is expected to follow suit when it comes to leaving Chelsea. The Morocco international was close to moving to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr but problems that appeared during the 30-year-old's medical saw that move collapse.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, meanwhile, has plenty of potential suitors from elsewhere in the Premier League, including Nottingham Forest. The 22-year-old winger, who spent last season on loan at German club Bayer Leverkusen, has informed Chelsea of his desire to leave in the next couple of months, football.london understands.
So Chelsea are not in a rush to sell Chalobah. They will not be actively offering him to clubs like they had done with some other players but if the right offer arrives, then it would prove difficult to turn down for the Blues.
