The hole left by Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea closed their window with a lopsided midfield that was always going to raise eyebrows. Enzo Fernandez’s move to Manchester City left a gap the Blues never really filled. Manu Kone said no, Lamine Camara was kept back at the last minute by AS Monaco, and the London club ended up scouring a market they rarely shop in: free agents.
According to Foot Mercato, two former Paris Saint-Germain players came up. Georginio Wijnaldum was sounded out before he headed to Saudi Arabia. Then Renato Sanches, freshly released from the final year of his PSG contract. The profile ticked a few boxes for the recruitment staff: top-level experience, immediate availability, no fee.
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Xabi Alonso chose his squad
Stamford Bridge never went all the way down that road, the same report says. The club backed the group already in place, a stance their head coach had made public. “We have several options and we need to find the right balance. We believe we have the quality and competitiveness needed for the whole season and to face every opponent,” Xabi Alonso said.
It is a risky call. Chelsea lost to Arsenal at the weekend and go into a four-competition season without their chief playmaker in midfield. Since 2022 they have spent huge sums in that area of the pitch and still have no settled pecking order.
A Golden Boy at 29
Renato Sanches is waiting. The Portuguese midfielder has turned 29 and carries a reputation bruised by the repeated injuries that have followed him since his Bayern Munich days. People forget he was a European champion with Portugal at 18 in 2016, and Golden Boy that same year. He also lifted Ligue 1 with Lille in 2021, a season when his energy and drive were back at elite level.
Foot Mercato says he had a serious pre-season and drew interest from several clubs in Europe’s big five leagues. Nothing has been signed. At his age, and with that injury record, every month out of action costs him at the negotiating table.
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