Chelsea are interested in signing a young player who has been coached by Enzo Maresca before.
When Enzo Maresca arrived at Chelsea last summer as the club’s head coach, he immediately recognised some familiar faces.
The 45-year-old Blues manager previously coached both Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia in Manchester City’s academy. Additionally, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also made the move from Leicester City to Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising to hear speculation that Maresca could soon enjoy another reunion at Chelsea.
Chelsea don’t intend to sack Enzo Maresca even if they miss out on Champions League qualification, so they will give him a second season to keep building in West London.
Chelsea keen on signing Ben Nelson from Leicester
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are interested in signing Leicester City’s Ben Nelson in the summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old defender, who has just enjoyed a season-long loan with Oxford United in the Championship, is being tracked by several sides in the Premier league.
It is explained that Chelsea considered a move for the English centre-half in January before a thigh injury ruled him out until March.
The report adds that Blues head coach Maresca continues to admire Nelson after working with him at the King Power Stadium. In fact, Nelson’s nine first-team appearances in Leicester colours all came under Maresca during the 2023/24 campaign.
In reality, the Blues could do with recruiting some more experience and leadership to help a very young backline. Ian Wright said Chelsea need someone in Thiago Silva’s mould to guide the inexperienced squad.
What Enzo Maresca said about Ben Nelson in 2024
Even though Nelson isn’t the high-profile centre-back that most supporters will want, it’s definitely a positive that Maresca knows his profile very well after coaching him for a year at Leicester.
Back in February 2024, Maresca actually delivered a glowing verdict on the “quick” central defender.
When discussing Leicester-owned youngster Nelson, Maresca said via The Athletic: “He’s quick. He can play right or left — it’s perfect. The only thing that he needs to improve and understand more is that he is a bit shy on the ball… So he has many things to improve but for sure, in terms of being an ideal central defender, he is probably the ideal one because he’s quick, can play right or left, and he is big. He is good.”
On paper, Nelson fits Chelsea’s transfer strategy across recent windows. However, it’s worth noting that he’s yet to play top-flight football in his career.
Perhaps he would be a signing for the future rather than the present day, but it feels like he’s eventually destined for the Premier League because of the rave reviews he’s received during his loan with Oxford. The Championship division has helped to develop some exceptional players over the years, too.
