Enzo Maresca avoided discussing the specifics of Chelsea’s negotiations with Joao Felix and Victor Osimhen but emphasized that the club is aware of the transfers he wants to finalize before the window closes.
Despite already having a large squad, Chelsea continues to negotiate as they aim to add another forward before the window shuts.
A deal for Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix could pave the way for Conor Gallagher to move to Spain, while Osimhen might arrive on loan with Romelu Lukaku possibly heading the other way.
However, ahead of Chelsea’s season opener against Manchester City, new manager Maresca declined to comment on any of these potential transfers.
‘The only thing I can say is they are not our players, so it’s not appropriate to discuss a Napoli or Atletico Madrid player,’ said the Italian.
Maresca did, however, hint that he has made his preferences clear to the board regarding the need for a new striker.
‘The club knows exactly what I think about what we need, and hopefully, we can bring in some players before the transfer window closes,’ he added.
Even with Gallagher and Lukaku training separately from the first team, Maresca acknowledged the need for more departures to manage the squad size better.
‘Right now, if I consider having 43 players, it’s not ideal,’ he said.
‘Paul and Laurence [the sporting directors] are responsible for finding solutions for these players, not me.’
Club captain Reece James won’t be available for selection this weekend after sustaining an injury in a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid.
However, Maresca is hopeful that his latest signing, Pedro Neto, can participate after the Portuguese winger joined from Wolves.
‘His physical condition is good. The only issue with Pedro is that he’s only been here for two or three days and needs to understand our playing style, but he’s fully fit,’ he said.
