Chelsea make crucial decision on defender who wants to leave this winter
By Evan Curnew
![Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in London on September 24, 2023. (Photo by Ian Kington / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images) Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in London on September 24, 2023. (Photo by Ian Kington / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7cabd98cee9c8187e2f8fcfcab95509bf708e6c4cbd679b21aa0050aa369b665.jpg)
Chelsea were able to shift plenty of players away from the club in the summer transfer window. Todd Boehly is hoping to usher the club into a new era, and that began with the hiring of Mauricio Pochettino as manager. With a new outlook on the club, Chelsea is focusing on youth to progress into the future.
The entire squad has been overhauled from top to bottom. That does not mean Chelsea’s finished moving out players, though. It is the reality of the business of football that transfers may take time to complete. Therefore, once the window slams shut, some players are going to be left at the short end of the stick. For Chelsea, defender Trevoh Chalobah fits the bill. The Cobham youth product seemed destined for a summer exit, but he has stuck around. He is also injured with no clear timeline for a return, but it may not matter for the Blues.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that there is a mutual expectation between Chelsea and Trevoh Chalobah that the player will leave in January. The decision does not come down to any broken relationship but rather the player facing the reality of needing to find game time elsewhere. He wants to be a regular starter, and that opportunity is unlikely to arise at Stamford Bridge. Romano reports that Bayern’s interest still remains, and talks may continue over Chalobah. Other clubs abroad remain informed of the situation and could make a move come January.
Chalobah only signed a contract extension last year, but things have, of course, changed drastically for Chelsea. They’ve added defender Axel Disasi on the right side, and additions on the left have allowed for someone, like Thiago Silva, to suit up in multiple centre-back formations. At 24 years old, it looks like it is time for Chalobah to say goodbye to his boyhood club in hopes of finding a place elsewhere.