3 Chelsea players who could walk the plank when the World Cup ends
Xabi Alonso is now in situ as Chelsea manager, and he would have been monitoring his players at the World Cup. Many of them, he would have already made up his mind about whether he wants to get rid of them or not.
3 Chelsea players who could walk the plank when World Cup ends
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez was Argentina’s hero as he scored the winner in added time against Egypt in the round of 16. This booked Lionel Scaloni’s side a quarter-final matchup with Switzerland in the quarter-finals. However, Fernandez’s future at club level is far from certain.
Fernandez has flirted with the idea of joining Real Madrid, which led to much speculation. However, Los Blancos have even put out a statement saying that they will not be signing the midfielder.
Alonso’s downfall at Real Madrid was that he was unable to deal with big egos. The new Chelsea boss would see in Fernandez what he saw in many of his former Real Madrid players. Fernandez is no doubt a quality player, but he can be disruptive and is not fit to wear the captain’s armband when Reece James is unavailable.
There could still be options for Fernandez this summer. He has also been linked with Manchester City, Barcelona, and Arsenal. Whilst Chelsea would not want to strengthen a rival, it could be best for all parties if Fernandez has a reunion with Enzo Maresca at City.
Trevoh Chalobah
Trevoh Chalobah had a late call-up to the England squad for the World Cup after Tino Livramento got injured. This decision by Thomas Tuchel was met with much criticism, as another full-back such as Trent Alexander-Arnold was not taken instead.
The Three Lions now have an issue at right-back. James is injured, and Jarell Quansah is suspended, which has led to Djed Spence filling in on the right. Chalobah can play right-back, but he is naturally a center-back.
Chalobah is yet to get on the field for England at the World Cup. He also had a mixed season with Chelsea. The defender played in 47 games, with mixed performances. He was also left out of some big games, including the FA Cup final.
He is running out of time to impress Alonso, especially as Tuchel is not playing him. A transfer to Serie A could be on the cards for Chalobah, with Inter Milan and Como interested. The Blues have been known to let homegrown defenders go to Italy in the past, such as when Fikayo Tomori left for AC Milan.
Nicolas Jackson
Senegal has already been knocked out of the World Cup, with Nicolas Jackson failing to score. He managed just an assist in four games at the tournament, which came in a 3-2 defeat to Norway.
Jackson would have been disappointed not to have found the back of the net in their 5-0 win over Iraq. However, he was limited to a 33-minute cameo appearance. This result ensured the African side qualified for the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams. The striker again had to settle for a substitute role as Senegal were defeated by Belgium in the round of 32.
On loan at Bayern Munich last season, Jackson did not have a bad record. He scored 11 goals with four assists in 34 matches. This was despite him being a backup option to Harry Kane. It remains to be seen if Alonso will give him a fresh start at Stamford Bridge.
There has been interest in him recently from Newcastle United, Fenerbahce, and Al-Ahli. However, he is contracted to Chelsea until 2033. Therefore, another loan move away from the club could be likely.
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