Mauricio Pochettino has shed light on Chelsea’s choice to accept offers for Trevor Chalobah and Ian Maatsen on the transfer deadline day. During the summer, it seemed that both Chalobah and Maatsen were destined to depart Stamford Bridge on loan, but these anticipated moves never materialized, and they both remained with Chelsea. Maatsen had drawn interest from his former loan club, Burnley, while Chalobah was reportedly close to joining both Bayern Munich and Nottingham Forest.
In addressing the situation during his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, the Chelsea manager explained, “There are two sides to this situation. If an offer emerges, it’s because another part of the club either approved their move or was actively seeking a solution for a player wanting to leave. It’s not fair to solely blame the club. If an offer comes in for my assistant, Jesus Perez, it’s because Jesus was open to considering it, right? We need to be discerning about this. The players here will get opportunities if they earn them, but they must outperform others in their positions.”
Taking a broader view, both Chalobah and Maatsen have had sporadic appearances for Chelsea since Pochettino’s arrival in the summer. Chalobah has yet to start a match in the 2023-24 season and continues to attract interest from Bayern Munich, who are reportedly considering a renewed pursuit of him during the January transfer window, as reported by Football Insider. Maatsen, on the other hand, has made three Premier League appearances, all as a substitute.