Chelsea chiefs make transfer decision after reaching conclusion on 'right man'

Enzo Maresca has led Chelsea to the Conference League title and a Champions League place during his debut season at Stamford Bridge and club chiefs have made a decison on his future

Enzo Maresca will be backed heavily in the market this summer to help take Chelsea to the next level. Chelsea boss Maresca has impressed joint owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali by leading the club to the Europa Conference League and steering them back into the Champions League.

That has given them spending power again this summer and the Chelsea hierarchy firmly believe that Maresca is the right man to steer the club forward. They will target a new centre forward with Ipswich striker Liam Delap on their hit-list and Chelsea are now red-hot favourites to land him ahead of Manchester United.

Chelsea also like RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and may yet rival Arsenal who are long term admirers of the Slovenia centre forward. They have also checked on Eintracht Frankfurt’s £90m-rated Hugo Ekitike.

That could raise doubts over Nicolas Jackson’s future but Chelsea have backed him to the hilt but want to get a striker to bring competition and strength up front.

Chelsea are also in the market for a centre half and had been chasing Dean Huijsen before the Spain international agreed to join Real Madrid in a £50m move from Bournemouth.

Maresca is a big admirer of England defender Marc Guehi who started in Chelsea’s academy and now Crystal Palace face a dilemma this summer as his contract only has one year left. Newcastle are another club who have been interested and are very much in the mix for Guehi who would be the sort of leader that Chelsea want.

Chelsea also know the £100m windfall from Champions League football plus also the lure of playing on Europe’s top stage gives them an advantage.

They also have Brazil teenage wonderkid Estevao Willian arriving from Palmeiras with Premier League rivals believing that the winger could be ready for English football straight away and could be his country’s top prospect.

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Maresca will be expected to work with keeper Robert Sanchez who has been showing improvements in recent months even though the fans have been less convinced about the club’s No1.

But the Champions League qualification plus also the gravitas of becoming the first club to win a clean sweep of UEFA’s four major trophies has given Maresca a huge boost.

The hierarchy have stuck with the ex-Leicester boss even when fans and pundits have voiced some doubts over his style of play, whether he has a big enough personality for a club like Chelsea and also whether he is the right option long term.

But Maresca has done what was expected of him this season and still has the Club World Cup to come in the United States and the huge cash on offer as prize money could be another big boost ahead of the summer window.