Enzo Maresca has praised Enzo Fernandes and Moises Caicedo ahead of Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign, claiming ‘no one remembers’ what the pair cost anymore thanks to their recent performances.
Chelsea have signed over 50 players and spent in excess of £1.5billion since Todd Boehly’s takeover back in May 2022, with club bosses placing an emphasis on investing in young talent for the future.
But Fernandez and Caicedo sit above the rest as the club’s two most expensive recruits of all time having completed moves to Stamford Bridge in deals worth £107m and £115m respectively.
Given the vast sums spent, Fernandez and Caicedo arrived in west London with enormous pressure on their shoulders- and both players, at first, struggled to live up to these sky-high expectations
However, Fernandes and Caicedo came into their own last term and were arguably Chelsea’s two most consistent performers across the campaign as Enzo Maresca’s men secured Champions League football with a top-four finish in the Premier League.
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The midfield duo were also instrumental as the Blues went all the way in the Europa Conference League to become the only club in history to have won every major European trophy.
Asked about the huge fortunes spent on new recruits in recent years, Maresca told Corriere della Sera: ‘Yes, but now they invest well, in the direction that modern football is going.
‘Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo cost a lot, but no one remembers their price anymore because of how much they have grown.
‘Before, a lot was spent on players over the age of 30 who had already given their best.’
Maresca was left with a massively inflated 43-man squad after taking over the reins from Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea head coach last summer.
This led to some tough conversations between the Italian and the likes of Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Armando Broja, who were dubbed the ‘bomb squad’ in the media.
‘We made strong choices. They were all quality guys, but the squad had to be reduced,’ Maresca explained.
‘When it comes to individual motivation, Marcello Lippi was an unsurpassed master.
‘His ability to talk to each player, get into their head and motivate them in the way that was right for them, which is never the same as that of another, was exceptional.
‘I try my best to do as he did. I try.’
Asked if Chelsea had achieved their objectives for the season last term: ‘We are a year ahead of the Champions League qualification. The club had asked me for it in two seasons.
‘As for the Conference League, it is natural that its appeal is less than the other cups.
‘But as I said in the first meeting, the fact that Chelsea qualified for that tournament means they deserved to play in it.
‘We had to win it and that’s what we did.’
Those Chelsea players competing at the Club World Cup would have less than a month’s break should they make it all the way to the final of this year’s tournament.
Quizzed on what they would do in such a scenario, Maresca responded: ‘The only thing possible: the Premier League restarts on August 17, so we will gather on August 10 and do a normal week of work.
‘It will take us a while to get back to full speed, but the players need holidays… and the coaches, too!’
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