Enzo Maresca privately makes alarming Chelsea prediction as board slammed for huge double ‘downgrade’

Enzo Maresca has been left ‘in limbo’ after Chelsea failed to act on one of his key summer transfer aims, with a report revealing how the Italian head coach feels about his side’s prospects for the campaign.

Last season was a clear step in the right direction for Chelsea as they finished fourth in the Premier League while also winning the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup. The Blues backed Maresca in the summer by signing players such as Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Jorrel Hato and Facundo Buonanotte.

However, it has been an underwhelming start to the season for Chelsea. They beat Benfica 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night after losing three out of their four previous games.

Mistakes and poor discipline have proved costly. Robert Sanchez was sent off just five minutes into the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United, while Trevoh Chalobah was dismissed during the 3-1 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

According to an eye-opening report from FourFourTwo, Maresca formally ‘requested’ the signing of a new centre-back following the ACL injury suffered by Levi Colwill.

But this request was snubbed by Chelsea officials, who told the 45-year-old to rely on players such as Hato, Chalobah and Josh Acheampong instead.

Maresca was left ‘unhappy’ with the decision, as the report describes such players as a big ‘downgrade’ on usual centre-halves Colwill and Wesley Fofana.

It is felt that the Chelsea board have ‘let down’ Maresca, thinking that the squad would be good enough to challenge for the Premier League title and also reach the latter stages of the Champions League.

But they have underestimated the Champions League, with Maresca forced into player rotations that can lose his team vital points.

The report states that privately, Maresca ‘believes this squad simply isn’t good enough to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League’.

Of course, an early injury to new striker Delap was very unfortunate, but FourFourTwo slam Chelsea for failing to properly build on their Club World Cup triumph.

‘The opportunity to properly back a manager who genuinely looked like he was building something special may well have passed the Blues by,’ the author writes.

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More on Enzo Maresca: Board stance and fallout

Following the latest defeat to Brighton – Chelsea’s third in 2o25 alone – there was speculation Maresca might be under pressure to keep his job.

But a vast array of sources, including BBC Sport, Ben Jacobs and Sky Sports, soon stated that his position is safe and will not be reviewed until the end of the season.

Although, Maresca has reportedly fallen out with one Chelsea official in particular.

QUIZ: Two clubs before