Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca claims that the team will “dominate” the Premier League during the next five to ten years.
The 44-year-old Italian has consistently downplayed his team’s title aspirations this season, even with Chelsea sitting third in the table, level on points and goal difference with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
Following a convincing 3-0 home victory over Aston Villa on Sunday, Chelsea moved ahead of struggling champions Manchester City, but they still trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points.
Despite the substantial spending on world-record transfers under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Maresca has minimised Chelsea’s immediate title ambitions.
Since the Clearlake takeover, Chelsea have spent over £1.5bn, mainly on younger players with long-term contracts, though this has been offset by significant player sales.
With players like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Nicolas Jackson hitting their stride, and Cole Palmer’s continued impact over the last 18 months, Chelsea’s future looks promising.
However, Maresca believes the team’s inexperience, with an average squad age of just over 23, will ultimately prevent them from competing for titles this season.
“We’re not in the title race. We are not, in my opinion,” said Maresca.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League match at Southampton, Maresca added: “What I said to the owners and sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age and the quality of the squad, for me Chelsea will be one of the teams, or the team, that will dominate English football in the next five to ten years.”
“This is what I said to the club when I first met them. No matter who the manager is, I still believe that you can dominate English football for the next five or ten years due to your age and team.
“In terms of a target, they didn’t ask me for one, only to attempt to construct something significant for the coming years. I believe we are headed in the right path.
“In terms of a personal target, I know you struggle to believe but I’m not focused on [the] end of season, next season, because it’s not real.”
Chelsea finished 12th and sixth in their first two seasons under new American ownership, failing to win a title, although they have shown signs of stability and growth under Maresca.
In other news, Maresca did not specify an exact date for Wesley Fofana’s current hamstring injury, but did clarify that the 23-year-old centre-back, along with captain Reece James, would be out for “weeks.”
