Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is prepared to hand one player a second chance (Image: Getty)
has opened the door to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall staying at Chelsea beyond the January transfer window, despite a nightmare start to his career in the capital.
Dewsbury-Hall left the home comforts of his boyhood club Leicester City to join Maresca after he was poached by the west London side in the summer.
But speculation has pointed to the Englishman securing a swift exit from Stamford Bridge in January after failing to lock down a first-team spot just seven months on from his £30million move.
The Telegraph report , , West Ham and an unnamed ‘big European club’ are all interested in signing the attacking midfielder if he is made available for loan or a permanent transfer.
What’s more, Dewsbury-Hall risked the wrath of his manager after reposting a tweet on X which appeared to criticise Maresca, saying he “could’ve handled him better”. He swiftly deleted the repost and it is no longer visible on his official account.
Despite that, the Italian boss indicated he is willing to give the out-of-favour midfielder another chance to work his way back into his plans in the second half of the campaign.
Speaking ahead of ‘s FA Cup tie with Morecambe on Saturday, Maresca said: ”For sure, he [Dewsbury-Hall] has a future with us. Also because, when you want to send players on loan, it has to be from all the sides; the players, the club and the manager. It is not just about what I want.”
Words of reassurance are one thing, but Maresca’s actions offer a different reality on how he views the 26-year-old’s ability to contribute to ‘s push for a top-four finish.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has featured for only 55 minutes in the Premier League (Image: Getty)
Dewsbury-Hall has featured for just 55 minutes in the this season, made up by five brief outings as a substitute. His most recent appearance in the league came during the 5-1 win over Southampton where he came on for the final minutes at St Mary’s.
Since then, he has left as an unused substitute in wins over and Brentford and missed their last three matchday squads with an apparent knock. However, he has enjoyed more game time playing in the UEFA Conference League, where he has scored twice and provided an assist in eight European appearances.
When asked about if Dewsbury-Hall has to convince him that he warrants a place in his team, the Italian replied: “For sure, he has to do that, no doubt. I know Kiernan quite well and he is going to do that.”
Maresca has alluded to his struggles to adapt to the culture at , where competition is rife, compared to at Leicester where the midfielder was an essential part of his Championship-winning squad.
Enzo Maresca is prepared to allow Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to fight for his future (Image: Getty)
And with big-money signings Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez preferred in the double pivot, Dewsbury-Hall has been left out in the cold – quite literally – after being limited to games against sub-par European opposition.
Maresca can be a tough coach to impress – just ask Ben Chilwell, who was barely given a few weeks in front of his new coach before it was decided the left-back wouldn’t fit the bill.
But the boss has seemingly not given up on Dewsbury-Hall’s career just yet. With Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka poised to leave, Dewsbury-Hall may well get the chance to fill in if there are injuries.
It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that he plays more this season, and with some increased minutes and hard work on the training ground, he still has ample time to turn things around.