Chelsea's relentless recruitment drive could see them taken advantage of on Transfer Deadline Day when their exiled players need to be desperately offloaded.
That’s how former England and Everton defender Phil Jagielka views the Blues' chaotic transfer market behaviour. New head coach Enzo Maresca revealed this week how between 15 and 20 first-team players are training apart from his core squad and are essentially outcasts at Stamford Bridge.
Among this group is Raheem Sterling following the eyebrow-raising public statement from his representatives on Sunday, fellow England star Ben Chilwell and academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah – all of whom will supposedly be offloaded before the window shuts, like Atletico Madrid's new recruit and boyhood Blue Conor Gallagher.
Jagielka warns that should a club wish to sign one of Chelsea’s ousted players, they may wait until the window is almost shut and submit a sub-par proposal that Maresca's side will be forced to accept – and the Blues even risk having to continue paying some of their exiled players' salaries for another year.
“I think it's just insane the way Chelsea are doing it," Jagielka said, speaking on David Seaman’s ‘Seaman Says’ podcast, via Betway. "It's basically, if they don't want you, then you're not allowed to train with the first team.
“That used to happen to the real bad eggs in your changing room, the ones you didn't want there because they were upsetting the apple cart.
“Most of the ones they want to potentially get out the door are on nine-year contracts, so it's not really going to happen. I don't understand how they’re doing it. Surely there's got to be a better way."
Sterling is still contracted to the Blues for another three years. With his wages worth over £300,000-a-week, few clubs would even wish to pay half of that salary. The gifting of his squad number to new £54m signing Pedro Neto, however, all but confirms he will have to leave one way or another.
Ex-Sheffield United and Everton man Jagielka spoke about what next Deadline Day could look like for Chelsea – and it's not going to be pleasant. He continued: “If you're a club that potentially has a little bit of money or is after a Chelsea player, why would you even come in now?
"You might as well wait until 11:50 on Transfer Deadline Day and say: ‘Look, we'll take him off your hands, we'll give you half of his wages, and we probably won't give you much of a loan fee,’ and they're going to be stuck."
The extortionate fees paid for those who may leave for very little make for dismal reading. Kepa Arrizabalaga became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he arrived from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for £71m, but he disappointed as first-choice and has was loaned out to Real Madrid last season.
Romelu Lukaku, whose proposed escape to Napoli could see him leave on loan or in a deal worth less than £25m, having re-joined the Blues for nearly £100m just three years ago.
“The environment they’re setting for the start of the season is absolutely insane," added Jagielka. "They're just making the environment worse and worse and worse."