Chelsea exclude another key player from Ezno Maresca's squad

Chelsea have restricted access to the club’s first team facilities for one of their most longstanding players as they work diligently to reduce the size of Esno Maresca’s squad.

The club’s new manager inherited a bloated squad from Mauricio Pochettino and a flurry of new signings has made it even harder for the Italian to quickly implement a new style of play.

Maresca is hopeful that a number of players who he has deemed surplus to requirements will be offloaded in what remains of the transfer window in order to make the task of accelerating his rebuilding job simpler than it might otherwise be.

To that effect, Trevoh Chalobah, who has been with Chelsea since the age of eight, has now been banished and asked to train alongside fellow cast-offs, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku, with the club’s youngsters.

The versatile defender only signed a new long-term contract two years ago and ended last season as a regular part of Mauricio Pochettino’s improving side.

Having started last term behind the likes of Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, Chalobah fought his way back into the team having rejected a move to Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United registered an interest in the 25-year-old but the Red Devils have moved onto other targets.

Chalobah, according to the Telegraph, is coveted by both Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and will hope to have his future sorted swiftly.

Until then, he will suffer the same fate that befell Conor Gallagher before the England international was able to agree terms on an exciting move to Atletico Madrid earlier this week.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have agreed a £54million deal to sign winger Pedro Neto from Wolves, the PA news agency understands, after the club fended off interest from Tottenham to seal a surprise move for the Portugal international.

The 24-year-old, who arrived at Molineux from Braga in 2019, will move to Stamford Bridge for an initial £51.4m with a possible further £2.6m in add-ons.

He has seen his last three seasons disrupted by injury and has been limited to just 51 Premier League appearances in that time, but was fit to play in three of his country’s Euro 2024 fixtures this summer.