Chelsea face big transfer decision on £67m duo still to return to pre-season training

Enzo Maresca currently has a healthy amount of numbers to work with at the beginning of Chelsea’s pre-season campaign. Despite Euro 2024 and the Copa America taking place this summer, a large chunk of the Blues’ first-team squad have been back at their Cobham training base since Monday.

A handful of players are still to return following their international commitments over the past month, but Armando Broja and Djordje Petrovic do now appear to be with the rest of the first-team squad once again following their time at Euro 2024. An image of the former was posted on Chelsea’s X account on Thursday afternoon, with the latter spotted in a video of the goalkeepers taking part in a training drill that was published on Friday morning.

Out of those still to return, do Maresca and Chelsea still have decisions to make over them this summer when it comes to forming his ideal first-team squad? football.london takes a look.

Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea this summer following his Roma loan spell and involvement at Euro 2024 with Belgium. The 31-year-old striker enjoyed a decent season in front of goal for the Giallorossi, scoring 21 goals and registering four assists in his 47 games in all competitions.

Lukaku, valued at £25million by Transfermarkt, has been linked with another switch to Italy this summer, with former Blues boss Antonio Conte tipped to reunite with the frontman at Napoli. The ex-Everton striker quite clearly doesn’t appear to have a long-term future at Stamford Bridge and a move away looks a certainty to happen at some point before the end of the transfer window.

As his contract in west London expires in the summer of 2026, the Blues ideally need to part with him on a permanent basis in the weeks ahead as his transfer value will only decrease if he remains a Chelsea player beyond the summer window. It’s a pretty easy decision for Maresca and Chelsea when it comes to Lukaku.

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Conor Gallagher

Whereas it does seem a straightforward call when it comes to Lukaku, the same cannot be said about Conor Gallagher. The England international was tipped to depart 12 months ago amid interest from Tottenham but he remained in SW6 and became a pivotal figure in Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

The 24-year-old featured in 37 of 38 Premier League games for Chelsea and he captained the team on numerous occasions with Reece James and Ben Chilwell out of action for long stretches. What could potentially lead to an exit this summer is the fact that the academy graduate, who is valued at £42million by Transfermarkt, is now in the final year of his contract.

Chelsea cannot afford to allow one of their key players to depart for either a cut-price fee in January or for nothing next summer, thus meaning he is either sold before August’s transfer deadline or they tie him down to a new long-term deal at Stamford Bridge. All will become clear in the weeks ahead.

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And two who have only just returned to Cobham

Armando Broja

Broja is now back at Cobham putting in the work after representing Albania at Euro 2024. Spending the second half of last season on loan at Fulham, the striker’s temporary move to Craven Cottage didn’t work out at all as he only made eight substitute appearances for the Cottagers.

Chelsea are in need of signing a new striker but it appears that Broja’s future lies away from Stamford Bridge, unless of course there is to be a twist in the tale and he becomes a part of Maresca’s plans going forward. Linked with a move to Everton so far this summer, Chelsea should not be short on options for the 22-year-old if he is to move on.

Djordje Petrovic

Maresca has a decision to make over where exactly Petrovic fits in in terms of his Chelsea squad. The Serbian started last season as Chelsea’s second-choice goalkeeper but he soon found himself between the sticks following Robert Sanchez’s injury.

Petrovic remained in goal following his late cameo appearance in December’s 2-0 defeat against Everton and now he will be looking to keep it that way going into the new season. However, a new manager may have different ideas and that could open up the door for Sanchez to come back in ahead of Petrovic.

You cannot even rule out the possibility of the Blues looking to sign a new goalkeeper ahead of the 2024/25 season. Only a few positions in the Chelsea team appear to be set in stone, with the goalkeeping berth very much up for grabs in Maresca’s Blues XI.