Maresca: The club’s willingness to give players long-term contracts is none of my concern; I only need to select the squad for matches.

On August 23, the first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round saw Chelsea hosting Servette at home. Before the match, Chelsea’s head coach Maresca attended the press conference.

About Felix

He is an excellent player with talent who played for Chelsea two years ago. The good news is that he can play in multiple positions, both centrally and out wide, and even as a number 9.

About Gallagher’s departure

This is a concern for the fans. What I can say is that this decision wasn’t made today; it was reached over days, weeks, even months. Not just Chelsea, but many teams are selling their academy players. This brings a 100% profit to the team, and we have to respect this rule. Enzo and Lavia can fill his void.

About Sterling, Chilwell

They are training separately. We have many players, and I cannot give them all playing time. If they want more game time, leaving might be a better option. I don’t think I’m being cruel; on the contrary, I believe I’m being honest.

About adjustments to attacking players

Neto can play on both wings, Felix can play as an attacking midfielder, center-forward, or even a winger, and there are still many games ahead.

About long-term contracts

This isn’t my issue; I am only responsible for selecting the best players. Whether it’s a six-year contract or a twenty-year one, I don’t care. I’m here to make the right decisions, and dealing with contracts isn’t part of my job. I don’t need to worry about 42 players; right now, I only care about the 21-man squad for the match.

About Reece James

He is still injured and won’t be available tomorrow. He is the captain, but we have another 3-4 captains. In my view, Colwill can step up, and Enzo is also one of those options.

About the club’s transfer operations

I’m 100% satisfied. There are still 10 days until the window closes, during which anything could happen.