Atlético Madrid star Julian Alvarez is very keen for Diego Simeone to bring in one Chelsea star this summer, and has privately urged his club to do so, according to reports this week.
Enzo Maresca attracting criticism at Chelsea
Having led the club to just five wins from their last 16 Premier League games, it’s been a tough time for manager Enzo Maresca as of late, and this run of form has attracted criticism.
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The Frenchman has attracted criticism.
While Maresca is believed to retain the backing of Chelsea’s board for now (The Mail), sections of supporters are starting to question the Italian’s leadership, with boos ringing around Stamford Bridge after their 2-1 defeat to Polish minnows Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
Chelsea are in the Conference League semi-finals regardless, and remain firmly in contention to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but the manner of their recent performances are drawing some concern.
Speaking in a post-match press conference after their loss to Legia on Thursday, Maresca suggested he is fully aware of the dissatisfaction right now.
“No, for sure in terms of setback, for sure it’s a setback tonight for us, no doubt, first of all because we lost the game,” said Maresca.
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Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Fulham (away) |
April 20th |
|
Everton (home) |
April 26th |
|
Liverpool (home) |
May 4th |
|
Newcastle (away) |
May 10th |
|
Man United (home) |
May 18th |
“But I said yesterday, I think probably the other clubs, as you said, in this moment they can feel more confidence around them, not only Aston Villa, Newcastle, all the clubs around us, but this is football and can change very quickly, so it depends a lot on us. As I said, Sunday for us is one of the finals, and winning that game can give us a final boost to reach our target.
“So in this moment, you win games, you see yourself and you are very happy. If you don’t win, no-one is thinking that you can finish in the right way, but for me it’s just how we manage the emotion.”
Despite an electric start to the campaign, when many viewed Chelsea as potential title contenders, Maresca’s side remain very much a work in progress.
They’ll need their star players to step up and take a leading role during this transition phase, but one of them already is.
Julian Alvarez urges Atlético Madrid to sign Enzo Fernández from Chelsea
Club-record signing Enzo Fernandez is well and truly justifying his price tag right now, becoming an indisputable member of Maresca’s team with some outstanding performances throughout 2024/2025.
Maresca has entrusted the captain’s armband to him this term, with former Chelsea midfielder John Obi-Mikel praising Fernandez and stating he’s “becoming” a true leader at Cobham.
Some members of the media have even called the Argentine’s contribution “underrated”, but his quality isn’t lost on international teammate Alvarez, who is desperate for Atlético to strike a deal for the midfielder this summer.
That is according to reports out of Spain, which state that Alvarez has privately urged Atlético to sign Fernandez from Chelsea, amid claims the west Londoners will demand a minimum of £69 million to let him go.
However, it is believed that even this figure is beyond Atletico’s capabilities right now, so a transfer is unlikely, even if Maresca’s side entertained the notion of parting company.
After a tough start to life in west London, the player has now fully found his feet, with Fernandez even attracting praise from Lionel Messi during his time at Chelsea.
