Enzo Maresca is wasting no time in building a Chelsea squad which he hopes will progress in both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
The first port of call is to go all the way in the Club World Cup. Not only would it see Maresca claim his second piece of silverware with the Blues, but it would also net them around $125m in prize money.
Date
Opponent and score
Stage
July 5
Palmeiras (Won 2-1)
Quarter-final
June 28
Benfica (Won 4-1)
Last 16
June 25
Esperance (Won 3-0)
Group stage
June 20
Flamengo (Lost 3-1)
Group stage
June 16
LAFC (Won 2-0)
Group stage
Considering they have spent £60m on Joao Pedro, £51.5m on Jamie Gittens and £30m on Liam Delap since the start of June, this would be a nice bonus.
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Sadly for Maresca and Co, this was rather unsurprisingly rejected as Arsenal view him as their “crown jewel.”
Although the initial proposal might have been rejected straight away, might Maresca make another cheeky approach? If so, it could be another Palmer situation.
Why Chelsea want to sign Max Dowman
Dowman is only 15 years old, but he has already racked up 14 appearances for England at U17 level, scoring four goals in the process.
It won’t be long before he makes the step-up to the age group above him, such is his superb potential and talent.
Last season saw Dowman give the supporters a glimpse into the future, showing exactly what he is capable of.
Across 23 matches for the U18 and youth teams, Dowman registered Palmer levels of goalscoring and creativity, not only scoring 19 goals, but he also chipped in with five assists. That is a simply excellent return for someone who can’t even legally drive for another 18 months.
While playing for England U17s against the Czech Republic at the Euro U17 tournament recently, he scored and recorded an assist, leading to heavy praise from Arsenal academy expert Will Balsam, who said that “Dowman was unstoppable.”
The praise for this young jewel doesn’t stop there. Teammate Declan Rice has described him as the “best 15-year-old in the country” while the aforementioned Balsam has claimed that the in-demand playmaker is the “biggest talent in England”.
While Arsenal won’t be looking to let Dowman go by any stretch of the imagination, the fact that the Blues want to include him as part of the deal shows how talented he is.
One for the future perhaps, but if things don’t go to plan at the Gunners, Maresca will have one eye on nabbing his next version of Palmer.
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