Chelsea: Enzo Maresca ‘safe’ regardless of whether Blues qualify for Champions League

Enzo Maresca will be backed by Chelsea, regardless of whether the team finishes in the top five spots and achieves Champions League qualification or not.

Chelsea go to Nottingham Forest on Sunday for a final-day decider, live on Sky Sports, knowing victory will guarantee a place in Europe’s top club competition next term. The Blues then have a UEFA Conference League final with Real Betis on May 28.

The league finish will be more pivotal to Chelsea’s immediate future, with large sums of money on the table for sides which qualify for the Champions League. But it is understood the club’s hierarchy believe Maresca is on track with his project, regardless of Sunday’s outcome.

“Chelsea really need to qualify for the Champions League,” said Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol. “But I don’t think it will really affect the future of Maresca.

“The senior executives at Chelsea feel he is building something, that he’s not a million miles away from achieving the goals set for him and if they stick with him Chelsea can be challenging for major honours next season.

“I’d expect him to stay at Chelsea. Maresca is safe.”

Chelsea made a fast start to this season and were just four points off leaders Liverpool on Christmas Day, having played a game more. But a drop-off in form – impacted by goal droughts for Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer – saw Chelsea slump. They are now 17 points behind Arne Slot’s champions and in a five-team fight for the three final Champions League spots.

How Champions League qualification will impact transfer plans

Cheslea are on course to bank a £200m windfall but they have no plans to sign superstar players such as Real Madrid winger Rodrygo.

The 24-year-old Brazilian has been linked with a €100m move to Chelsea in the Spanish media but he is not currently a target.

Rodrygo is viewed as an exceptional player but the total cost of any potential deal, including wages, is prohibitive and a move would not fit in with Chelsea’s strategy in recent transfer windows.

Chelsea’s model, which is very similar to Paris Saint-Germain’s, is to build a squad of young world-class players who will develop together and challenge for major trophies next season.

PSG have reached the Champions League final with a young, exciting team after changing strategy and ditching their model of signing superstar players such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Chelsea will make at least £100m if they qualify for the Champions League and they will bank about £100m if they reach the final stages of the Club World Cup.

Chelsea are expecting to be busy in the transfer market this summer although a lot will depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League. They have a crucial final Premier League game of the season away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

Many elite players who will move this summer are waiting to see who will be playing in European football’s elite competition next season before finalising any transfers.

Chelsea are planning on signing a striker, a centre-back and a left-sided wide player. Targets include players such as Liam Delap, Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, Alejandro Garnacho, Nico Williams, Jorrel Hato, Marc Guehi and Jarrad Branthwaite.

Players will also leave Chelsea this summer but Enzo Fernandez is settled and not for sale despite reports in Argentina linking him with Real Madrid again.

The World Cup winner is a viewed as key player who is back to his best and part of the core of the team along with players such as Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer.

Fernandez is contracted to Chelsea until 2032. He moved to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £106.8m from Benfica in January 2023.

Maresca: Fernandez is staying at Chelsea

Maresca himself has dismissed reports that Fernandez could join Real Madrid this summer, saying: “He’s a main player for us. He’s one of the captains, the leaders and he’s been very good. He can be even better next season, starting from the first day.

“Nothing to say about speculation. He’s focused on us and this is the most important thing.”

When asked outright if Fernandez is staying, Maresca said: “Yes.”

Turning attentions to this weekend’s huge game against Nottingham Forest, Maresca says that they will not be keeping tabs on other games – if Chelsea can do their job at the City Ground.

“It probably also shows how difficult the Premier League is with so many teams involved [in the race for the Champions League]. The one that have been consistent has been Liverpool and that’s why they won [the Premier League].

“The rest, during the season, had up and down moments. This is the reason why we are there. But we are happy to be there and finish in the best way.

“We are lucky because if we win, we do our job, we don’t need to pay attention to the other results. If we’re not winning, we probably need to pay attention. We have the privilege that depends on us.

“When you join Chelsea, you feel the pressure from day one. You don’t need to play this kind of game to feel more or less pressure.

“I feel the pressure since I joined because it’s a club where you need to win games. We won many games this season, but we need one more – the most important one.

“The next focus is on Sunday’s game. It’s the next one, the most important one and then after, we can be focus on Wednesday’s game [the Conference League final against Real Betis].”