Manchester City is Set to Sign Chelsea outcast player who Pochettino Don’t want to see in his squad

Chelsea were always going to be busy in January, but with Mauricio Pochettino under pressure to turn things around after a dismal start to life back in London, his second transfer window has arrived quickly. Halfway through his first season back in England, the manager has yet to win over fans.

The owners are also facing criticism for failing to show an improvement in performance since taking ownership in May 2022. Since then, it’s been mostly downhill, and there’s little faith in the present group’s ability to repair the harm done.

Pochettino and Chelsea will be hoping to take advantage of the forthcoming window to enhance productivity in both boxes. However, due to the extensive spending of the previous 18 months, there may not be much opportunity for agreements to be done without sales.

Football.london has the latest market news, as well as a unique take on what certain moves can signify for the club and Pochettino. Starting with another youngster, as is customary for Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Despite pleas for more experience, Chelsea are thought to be interested in 20-year-old Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards and will make another move for him next month. According to football.london, Edwards has been on Chelsea’s radar at times and has had bids rejected for the player in 2022.

Along with Edwards, the Athletic reports that more South American youth targets are being considered. Edwards, on the other hand, is already establishing a name for himself in the English game, having been capped at both Under-19 and Under-20 levels as a regular with England.

According to football.london, Edwards fits a lot of what Chelsea is trying to do, but the questions around him overlap with those addressed at many of the existing group. Edwards is one of the top young defenders in the country, having made over 100 senior matches before turning 21. However, there are some red flags.

What may go wrong is not so much Edwards himself as it is what his signature would represent. Chelsea already has a vast talent pool, including some of the most promising future stars. For years, Cobham, La Cobham has been an effective production line of outstanding talent that has gone unnoticed.

Cobham has spent years developing players who, more often than not, outperform big-money arrivals at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, they have moved away from the Blues, making the sales look dumb and the lack of a pathway increasingly concerning. Not that Edwards would be the same, but buying a new player without giving equal opportunities to club-cultivated players is concerning.

Bashir Humphreys, for example, is already playing at a higher level than Edwards. He is a two-footed, tall, and established second-division player who would be free of charge. Chelsea made a £10 million bid for Edwards last year, but it was turned down. It makes little sense to sign a player when someone of a comparable calibre already exists in the system.

Chelsea, on the other hand, hasn’t let this type of thing stop them recently, and the pure profit rationale of selling homegrown players will be used again in January and next summer. It may free up finances for someone like Edwards, who, at the right price, could be worth a lot more in the future.

However, if Edwards is brought in at the expense of Humphreys, the question of Cobham’s purpose must be revisited.

Staying with Cobham and undervalued young players currently in the system, Manchester City is said to be interested in Ian Maatsen. According to The Athletic, the 21-year-old is one of several alternatives being considered by Pep Guardiola’s men, despite the fact that Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have played on the left this season.

He has played as a winger, offensive midfielder, and wingback on occasion, but rarely at his preferred left-back position. Maatsen has been a near-exclusive substitute for much of this season and is believed to be one of those that the club looks to sell next month.

Chelsea simply do not learn, according to football.london. They had the opportunity to lose Marc Cucurella in the summer, even if it was only on a temporary loan, but instead used him in a League Cup match, cup tied him, and then were left with salary on the books. Meanwhile, Maatsen has been defeated.

Although he has always been available from the bench, his talents have not received the recognition they deserve at Chelsea. Pochettino hasn’t given Maatsen much of an opportunity in the absence of Ben Chilwell, whether owing to height or some radical tactical experimentation.

If the sight of Ake himself standing out at the Etihad Stadium on his way to helping City win the treble last year wasn’t enough of a reminder, Maatsen leaving to join Guardiola would be regretted in about 30 seconds, if that.

A major difficulty with the player trading route of business is that, even if Chelsea does desire to fund their transfers in this manner, it defies sense to let assets decay and sell at the lowest possible price. Maatsen, who cost £30 million this summer, has no Premier League experience. If, for whatever reason, he had to be sold, one year of gametime would only increase the price and make the team appear better.

There isn’t another way to put it. What is occurring with the use of Cobham’s players as numerical figures is exceedingly concerning and has yet to provide any tangible sporting return, a spectacular lose-lose.