“He’s better than those two” “Don’t let him go” – Mikel Obi warns Enzo Maresca against dropping Chelsea star
The recall of Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace has piqued the interest of Chelsea fans, but recent reports indicate that the centre-back does not envision his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
It was revealed by John Mikel Obi that both the club and Chalobah seem to be in agreement regarding the probability of a summer departure.
“As it stands, from my understanding, Chalobah from his side and the club’s side is not deemed to have a long-term future at the club, which I guess makes his recall all the more strange,” Mikel Obi explained.
The 24-year-old defender, who has been brought back to bolster Chelsea’s squad for the remainder of the season, reportedly harbours no ill feelings about returning to play for the club he loves. However, Mikel Obi added that Chalobah does not expect to stay beyond the current campaign.
“He was contacted by the club, he was told he was coming. He’s never going to kick off about playing for Chelsea because he loves Chelsea, although he doesn’t necessarily think he’ll be there beyond the summer,” he said.
The move has also raised questions about how Chalobah fits into manager Enzo Maresca’s plans. Bailey speculated that Maresca might rate him higher than some of Chelsea’s other defensive options.
“Does Maresca think he’s better than Disasi and Tosin? Quite possibly, but it’s still not the long-term answer,” Mikel Obi remarked.
Chalobah now has six months to prove he deserves a permanent place in the squad, though it seems unlikely based on the current plan.
“I suspect if he does really well there’ll be calls for him to stay there permanently. That isn’t part of the plan at the moment, but that may change in the next six months,” Mikel Obi concluded.
As things stand, Chalobah’s future at Chelsea looks uncertain, and the next half-year will be critical in determining whether he stays to fight for his place or moves on to seek new challenges elsewhere.