£250,000-per-week player “could be set” for surprise exit from Chelsea

One Chelsea player’s “shocking” potential exit from Stamford Bridge is now seen as a real possibility this summer, with the club also believed to be looking at potential alternatives already as we slowly head into the next transfer window.

Enzo Maresca praises Chelsea squad ahead of FC Copenhagen

The Premier League top four chasers take on FC Copenhagen in the second leg of their Conference League tie on Thursday, and they go into the contest off the back of three straight victories.

Chelsea thrashed Southampton 4-0 on February 25th to end a barren run of three consecutive losses, and Enzo Maresca‘s side then reigned victorious in the first leg of their tie against Copenhagen before edging past Leicester City with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Things are beginning to turn a corner in west London after their mid-season slump in form, with Chelsea hoping to qualify for the Champions League. After their 1-0 win over Leicester, Maresca heaped praise on his squad for navigating an unexpected tacticial change from the Foxes.

“Very happy,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s win over Leicester. “The main reason is because when we prepare the game, we watch as many games as possible.

“We watched the Leicester games under Ruud [van Nistelrooy], almost all of the games since he arrived and you can imagine how many games. They play always a line of four but they arrived here with a line of five and they completely changed their plan.

“All the training sessions you have done, they go rubbish. You need a new plan. Before the warm-up, before the players go out, you need to give them a new plan. This is why I was so happy because the way the players adapted – that is something you probably struggle to see and understand from the outside – has been top, fantastic; you have to completely change the plan, the way you attack and the way you defend.

“Leicester came here with a line of five. This is something, I said to the players, it is probably the other teams starting to respect us. Copenhagen, three years with the same manager and there was two games with a line of five… we play there, a line of five. So, the players have been so good this season in the way they are adapting.”

Jadon Sancho could make surprise exit from Chelsea this summer

£250,000-per-week

winger Jadon Sancho also got a rare 90 minutes over the weekend, and previous reports suggested that the England international was a near-certainty to remain in London beyond his loan spell.

Reliable journalist Simon Phillips claimed late last year that Sancho would join Chelsea permanently for around £25 million if they finish higher than 15th in the table, and the player had already provisionally agreed terms.

However, as per an update from The Daily Mail (via GiveMeSport), his stay isn’t as cut and dry. It is believed that Sancho “could be set” to make a “shocking” return to Man United, as it has emerged Chelsea have a sneaky option to pull out of a permanent deal for the ex-Borussia Dortmund star.

Although, if they choose to do so, they would also incur a “significant” penalty. Despite a fine start to life in the English capital, Sancho has slightly fell off in terms of form, with this latest report potentially coming as a result of that. BlueCo are also thought to be looking at other options for out wide next season.