Enzo Maresca says transfer speculation has “100 percent” contributed to Chelsea’s mid-season slump, predicting there will be comings and goings in the final days of the January window.
The Stamford Bridge club is now 13 points off the pace after just one win in their previous seven games, despite trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by just two points in mid-December.
A number of Chelsea players have been linked with moves including Axel Disasi, Cesare Casadei, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku, while Renato Veiga has already left to join Juventus on loan.
Maresca’s sixth-placed team travels to London rivals West Ham on Monday, and he was asked about the rumors that had shaken his squad at his pre-game press conference on Friday.
“A hundred percent for me,” he said. “But not only us, all the teams, because in the end they (the players) are human beings.
“Even if they say, ‘No, I’m professional, I’m focused on this’, in the end if they are talking about you, about different clubs, probably the focus is not 100 percent. But it’s not just for us. ”
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The transfer window, which closes at 2300 GMT on Monday, is expected to be closed, according to the Chelsea manager.
Chelsea, who sit just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, have themselves been linked with moves for wingers in Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.
It’s like this at this time because you can anticipate players arriving and players can anticipate players leaving, Maresca said. I have no idea whether someone can arrive or depart. Anything can happen. ”
The 44-year-old Italian added that he had not yet decided who would start in goal against West Ham, which is currently led by Graham Potter, a former Chelsea manager.
Robert Sanchez, the number one goalkeeper, has committed a number of dignified errors this year, including the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.
Sanchez was declared the first choice at the start of the season, according to Maresca.
But he added: “Because we have two good ‘keepers we can make some different decisions, for sure it can happen.
Robert is always going to play, even though that doesn’t mean he can make mistakes every game. No. But the number one choice was Robert, then we see during the season.
“Any decision I take I feel good because every time (deputy) Filip (Jorgensen) played since we started he has done well so Filip or Robert, we will see, but any decision will be OK. ”
Source: Channels TV
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