Enzo Maresca recalled Trevoh Chalobah this month. (Image: Getty)
Chelsea’s decision this month now looks to have been motivated by a desire to raise transfer funds. The 25-year-old has gone back to Stamford Bridge after impressing this season, following injuries to defenders Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.
initially claimed that Chalobah had been brought back into the fold to help cover those absences and implied he would be needed in the first team XI.
“It’s quite an easy process,” said the manager. “We have new injuries. We were looking for a solution. We thought probably the best solution was to bring Trev back.”
However, according to , the Blues have now made the former under-21 international available for an immediate sale. And they are said to want £40million to sell him a permanent basis.
After a frenzied period of transfer activity in Todd Boehly’s two-and-a-half-year tenure, reportedly now need to make player sales before buying big again. And it appears that Chalobah, whose current contract runs until 2028, will now be used to allow Maresca to pursue targets elsewhere.
Given the centre-back is an academy product, a sale would also help the London club comply with FFP regulations. But it doesn’t look like a return to Selhurst Park is on the cards, with Palace seemingly reluctant to meet the fee and the player’s age demands.
Trevoh Chalobah has impressed at Crystal Palace this season. (Image: Getty)
After learning of Chalobah’s recall, Palace boss Oliver Glasner argued that he’d benefitted from his run of regular football, having played just 17 times under last season. “When you make a loan deal it is usually win-win for everyone,” he said.
“But now are the biggest winners because they get a player back who scored three goals and is in much better shape than when he arrived. He is a very good player and an even better human. We had a great time together and I wish him all the best at .”
Chalobah signed senior forms with the club in 2018 but spent the three years that followed away amid loan stints at Ipswich, Huddersfield, and Lorient. He then made a breakthrough under Thomas Tuchel in the 2021/22 season, playing 30 times in all competitions.
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He continued to feature regularly in the following campaign under and then interim boss . But the arrival of Pochettino saw him fall down the pecking order, and he now seems to be surplus to requirements under Maresca.
Another defender in Aaron Anselmino has also been recalled by the club this month. The 19-year-old only signed from Boca Juniors in the summer and was straight sent back to the Argentine club, initially on a season-long deal.