Chelsea have reportedly slapped a £45 million asking price on Trevoh Chalobah, who has attracted interest from Inter Milan.
Trevoh Chalobah faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea agreed a £38 million deal to secure the services of Axel Disasi. And according to Football Insider, the Blues are considering selling their academy defender this summer if the right offer arrives.
The Blues agreed a £38 million deal for AS Monaco and France centre-back Axel Disasi on Sunday. The 25-year-old Frenchman, who is set to undergo a medical soon ahead of him penning a five-year deal at the West London club, has been signed after Wesley Fofana’s ACL injury in training.
Disasi’s arrival means Chalobah becomes surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, as his chances of getting regular playing time would be limited even further. Mauricio Pochettino employs a four-man backline, and Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva, and Levi Colwill are all believed to be ahead of him in the pecking order.
The 24-year-old joined the Blues’ academy back in 2007 and enjoyed three productive loan spells with Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town, and Lorient. Since then, he has become an established member of the Blues’ first-team setup and has made 63 first-team appearances for them so far.
The Cobham academy product proved a useful option due to his versatility, operating as a central defender and right-back, as he made 33 appearances for the Blues last season while helping his side keep eight clean sheets.
Chalobah has also made four appearances in the Blues’ pre-season fixtures thus far. But he could be set to depart Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis this summer as Chelsea are undergoing a wide-scale reshuffle under Mauricio Pochettino, who has already sanctioned the exits of two Cobham graduates in Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount earlier in the transfer window.
Both Inter Milan and West Ham United have shown interest in signing the defender, who is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2028. However, the Blues’ asking price for him may raise a few eyebrows and could prove to be a major stumbling block for any potential suitors.
The west Londoners have placed a £45 million price-tag on Chalobah, which is an incredibly lofty demand for a player on the fringes of a Chelsea side that finished 12th last season. The fear is that such a steep valuation would fend off suitors and price the defender out of a move that he desperately requires for his career growth.
At his age, Chalobah is keen to be playing more regularly and will be exploring all his options, with several outlets stating the former England youth international has not given up hope of making it into the senior squad for Euro 2024, despite not yet being handed a debut by Gareth Southgate.
It seems like Chelsea will need to lower their demands a bit to make it more reasonable for the buying side, as it is questionable whether Inter or any other interested party would be willing to meet their current valuation.
