Enzo Maresca (45), manager of Chelsea, made a bold decision ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The United Kingdom's 'Daily Mail' reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "Chelsea excluded key players worth a total of £225 million from the Club World Cup roster," mentioning the names of Raheem Sterling (31), João Félix (26), Wesley Fofana (25), and Axel Disasi (27).
The combined market value of these four players reaches a total of £225 million (about 418.4 billion won). Sterling was loaned to Arsenal, Félix to AC Milan, and Disasi to Aston Villa. Fofana underwent surgery after an injury.
In response, the media analyzed that Manager Maresca is preparing for the tournament focused on younger and more active players. In fact, young talents like Andrey Santos (21), Liam Delap (22), Dairu Esugu (20), and Mamadou Sarr (19) were included in the roster.
The most surprising exclusion was goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović (26) from Serbia. Petrović played on loan at Strasbourg during the 2024-2025 season. He displayed stability while participating in 31 matches in Ligue 1 in France.
However, Petrović requested to miss the Club World Cup on his own accord. He asked the club for a transfer to secure more playing opportunities. AS Roma is keeping a close eye on Petrović.
Chelsea plans to nominate Robert Sánchez (28) as the starting goalkeeper instead of Petrović. Philip Jørgensen (23), from Denmark, is expected to come on as the backup goalkeeper.
Just before the tournament, Chelsea pushed to acquire AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan (30). However, it is reported that negotiations fell through due to the transfer fee being burdensome, which amounted to around £20 million (about 37.2 billion won).
Meanwhile, Chelsea will kick off their Club World Cup schedule with their first match against LA FC in Atlanta, U.S., on the 17th. It remains to be seen whether Manager Maresca's bold choices will lead to success in the Club World Cup. Chelsea has been grouped in Group D along with LA, Flamengo (Brazil), and Tunis (Tunisia).
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