In a recent development, Chelsea have reportedly set a price for the departure of defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is being targeted by Aston Villa in the ongoing transfer window.
The Blues recently confirmed the signing of Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee believed to be around £54m. Neto becomes the 10th acquisition by the club this summer, joining the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Estevao Willian, and Omari Kellyman at Stamford Bridge.
With over £185m already spent on new signings this offseason, Chelsea are now looking to offload some of their existing players to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Conor Gallagher is close to a move to Atletico Madrid, while Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, and Raheem Sterling are all available for transfer.
Aston Villa have shown interest in Chalobah, and according to Football Insider, Chelsea are willing to accept a bid between £20m and £25m for the defender. The sale of Chalobah, a product of Chelsea’s academy, would provide much-needed profit for the club.
The report also indicates that players like Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Levi Colwill are ahead of Chalobah in the defensive pecking order at Chelsea. Consequently, Chalobah has been informed that he is not in manager Enzo Maresca’s plans for the upcoming season.
Despite making 17 appearances in all competitions last season and featuring prominently under Mauricio Pochettino, Chalobah has been instructed to train with the Under-21s and other players out of favor like Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are aiming to strengthen their squad ahead of their Champions League debut season. After a successful campaign under Unai Emery that saw them finish in fourth place, Villa wasted no time in securing early transfers such as Samuel Iling-Junior, Enzo Barrenechea, and Ross Barkley.
Following the departure of Douglas Luiz and Kellyman, Villa reinvested the funds by adding Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen to their squad from Everton and Chelsea, respectively. The club is keen on bolstering their ranks for the challenges that lie ahead in Europe’s premier club competition.
