Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has admitted that signing a new centre-back is a ‘priority’ after Levi Colwill’s ACL injury.
The Blues suffered a devastating blow earlier in the week when the England international went down injured in training, with subsequent tests revealing the worst possible news. Colwill ruptured his ACL, forcing him to undergo surgery.
He will now have to spend the foreseeable future on the treatment table. With the centre-back expected to miss the majority of the season, there has been plenty of speculation about whether or not Chelsea will look to sign a replacement.
Earlier on Friday, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano posted on X that Chelsea have not put in place any ’emergency plans’ to add a new centre-back given that they just signed Jorrel Hato from Ajax for €43 million.
However, Blues boss Enzo Maresca clearly has other ideas, as he revealed after his side defeated Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, thanks to goals from new boys Estevao and Joao Pedro.
Maresa reveales transfer priority
Quizzed about the injury to Colwill and whether strengthening the backline has now been put on the agenda, Maresca answered in the affirmative.
“It’s a priority [strengthening in defence] because Levi is a fantastic player,” the Italian said. “What we achieved last season is because of him. He played all the games with me, I love him, we’re going to miss him.”
It remains to be seen who Chelsea will target, with the timing of Colwill’s injury quite unfortunate. Just last week, the Stamford Bridge club sent new signing Mamadou Sarr back on loan to Strasbourg.
That said, Maresca certainly does not have a shortage of options still at his disposal. Unwanted players such as Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga have not yet been sold by the club. In fact, even without Colwill, Chelsea still have eight senior centre-backs – and at least three more players who can deputise centrally – on their books.
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