Chelsea braces for defender gap

Enzo Maresca wants Chelsea to sign a new central defender to replace Levi Colwill, while the club pushes for an internal solution.

Chelsea divided on Levi Colwill replacement

Levi Colwill is sidelined by injury, leaving Chelsea short in the centre of defence at a moment when Enzo Maresca wants to keep his preferred build up. Maresca notes Chelsea built 64 games last season with Levi or Tosin Adarabioyo in the middle, and with Colwill out he sees a gap. The others can adapt, he says, but players like Jorrel Hato are untested in that role at the highest level. Wes Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have injury problems, leaving a thin central defence pool.

Chelsea are known to admire Marc Guehi, but the plan is to strengthen attacking options in the final two weeks, with talks reported with Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons. The club remains open to internal solutions, and the approach suggests a balance between replacing Colwill and maintaining the build up pattern. The window will test the board's willingness to back Maresca and to time any signings carefully.

The clash between a manager's build up philosophy and the club's transfer calculus highlights Chelsea's wider challenge. Relying on internal options risks a fragile spine in defence but signing a defender this late risks misplacing priorities in a window that already focuses on attackers. If the club backs Maresca, it signals a longer view on Chelsea's style; if not, it signals a quick fix that may undermine his plans. The next two weeks will show whether Chelsea prioritizes stability or a sharper attack in the season ahead.

Highlights

The coming days will reveal whether Chelsea backs the tactical plan or rewrites the defensive script.