Enzo Maresca, who joined Chelsea from Leicester City earlier this month, has been tasked with restoring the club to the summit of the Premier League. The Italian arrives at Stamford Bridge after an impressive debut season as a senior manager, leading the Foxes to the Championship title.
Maresca inherits a Chelsea squad on the rise; despite a poor start to the season, winning only one of their first six Premier League matches, the Blues managed to secure a spot in the Europa League for the 2023–24 season. Under the ownership of Todd Boehly, Chelsea has undergone significant changes, with 22 new players joining the first team over the past two years and more expected in the upcoming transfer window.
Consequently, Maresca will have a large squad at his disposal, but the club must balance its books to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. This means offloading some players during the off-season.
One likely departure is Romelu Lukaku, who has spent the last two seasons on loan. Lukaku, who was re-signed by Chelsea for a reported £97.5 million in the summer of 2021, has not lived up to his hefty price tag, scoring only 15 goals in 44 appearances. Subsequently, he was loaned out to Serie A clubs Inter Milan and Roma, where he found better form, netting 35 times across both stints.
Despite this improved performance, it is uncertain whether Lukaku will feature in Maresca’s plans for the next season. Chelsea aims to recover as much of Lukaku’s transfer fee as possible, allowing him to seek a fresh start after his underwhelming second spell at the club.
Lukaku’s recent performances for Belgium have also been lackluster. He was selected for the national team’s Euro 2024 campaign but failed to impress in their opening match against Slovakia, which ended in a shocking 1-0 defeat for Belgium.
Lukaku’s display was particularly disappointing, with journalist Francois Plateau calling it “terrible.” The striker played the full match but managed only 27 touches, averaging one touch every 3.3 minutes, highlighting his struggle to make an impact.
As Maresca takes the reins at Chelsea, the focus will be on integrating the new signings, managing the squad efficiently, and making tough decisions regarding player sales, including potentially parting ways with Lukaku, to set the club on a path back to Premier League glory.
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