Chelsea and Todd Boehly by extension could be forced to sell a "clever" star in January, even if Mauricio Pochettino "may be keen" for him to stay.
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The west Londoners spent £397 million on the signings of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Djordje Petrovic, Angelo and Deivid Washington in the summer transfer window, but it hasn't exactly been a wonderful start to the new Premier League season.
Pochettino's men have dropped points against Liverpool, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and, most recently Aston Villa – despite creating a host of chances against Unai Emery's side last weekend. The Blues slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, with the Chelsea boss giving a damning assesment of his squad who need to "grow up".
“We need to grow up like a team, not only in an individual way,” Chelsea’s head coach said.
“I think players like Nico who are so young and feeling the Premier League, they need time. In this type of game, we are competing and want to win and football is about winning. But also players, when they are young, need to learn, and experience and make mistakes. That’s why we feel disappointed as there are too many situations like this.”
Next up, Chelsea take on Fulham in a west London derby clash at Craven Cottage on Monday, and supporters will be hoping they can turn their dismal form around sooner rather than later.
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On the field, things aren't going to plan at the moment, but off the field, there could be some interesting developments. Indeed, Pochettino's side are reportedly one of the teams plotting a January move for Brentford star Ivan Toney, while certain squad members could face the axe.
Left-back Marc Cucurella is being linked with a Stamford Bridge exit, and despite his good form under Pochettino, another player who could depart is young Dutch ace Ian Maatsen in the same position. The 21-year-old has been introduced on four separate occasions by Pochettino this season, and the coach is actually a big admirer of him.
"I am so happy with him," said Pochettino in a recent press conference. "He is a player that can play in different positions. He has quality, he understands the game, and he is such a clever player. So far, he is in my plan, yes. I am so pleased with him, as I’ve said, because of his attitude, commitment and his understanding of the game."
However, according to journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, Chelsea could actually be forced to listen to offers for Maatsen in January if he doesn't sign a contract extension – coming after they had agreed a fee with Burnley in the summer window. Given Cucurella could well depart the club, Pochettino "may be keen" for Maatsen to remain where is given the lack of cover in that position.
Maatsen could also be a crucial player in the next two games, as Malo Gusto, Reece James and Ben Chilwell are all out right now.
