Chelsea transfer saga finally comes to an end as agreement reached after £51m Mathys Tel U-turn
It was funny, initially, when Enzo Maresca said that the January transfer window had been a 'disaster' for him at Chelsea. Not because of what had or hadn't happened, but because of the noise and uncertainty it creates.
Two weeks on and things have only gotten worse. Chelsea are at the centre of nearly every major story heading into the final three days. It is not a good look and is far from ideal for Maresca as he tries to prepare his team to face West Ham on deadline day.
With only one real first-team transfer being completed either in or out, there is still stacks of work to do. Unlike last year, it isn't going to be a smooth coast to the finish line either.
READ MORE: Garnacho signs, Felix move, five deals sealed - Chelsea's end to transfer window predicted
Here, football.london takes a look at the latest from around the club in the last knockings of the January window
Casaedi agreement
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Torino over the transfer of midfielder Cesare Casadei. It is reported that the former Inter academy star will move for around £10millon with Chelsea inserting a sell-on clause of over 20%.
Casadei has been one of the long-running exit stories for the club this window with Napoli and Lazio also entering talks. Having joined in 2022 as one of the first arrivals under the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly ownership, his impact on the first-team has been minimal at best.
football.london says: The question for Chelsea is, was it all worth it with Casadei? Two-and-a-half years on they will make a net loss on this deal whilst claiming a minor accounting profit thanks to amortisation practices. The sell-on will no doubt be worth it but Casadei has taken up loan spaces and lots of effort that could have been better used elsewhere.
It is hardly a disaster of a move but these last two seasons have only stalled his promising career. A move back to Italy should see that kick on again but if Chelsea fail to show they can develop these players being signed for smaller fees at a young age then the real financial benefits won't be realised.
This has largely been a waste of time for everyone and the fact it has taken four weeks to seal an exit is laughable. At times, with three clubs interested in him, it has played out like a low-key saga. Chelsea's recruitment strategy must change and improve.
Tel twists and turns
Tottenham's agreement with Bayern Munich over a proposed £51million permanent move for Mathys Tel has proved fruitless after the player rejected the deal. In a boost for Chelsea, who are still looking at Tel as an option this window, one of their rival clubs are out of the race.
Spurs had finalised things with Bayern on the club side but couldn't convince Tel to join despite chairman Daniel Levy flying out to Bavaria to hold face-to-face talks. Instead, the Tel drama will rumble on.
football.london says: There is still a long way for Chelsea to go in order to sign Tel, and they may well be put off by the barometer of a £51million price tag being set, but this is undoubtedly good news. Tel is a good player and Chelsea will not want to see him move to a fellow London club.
It is also a wakeup call for the directors because unrest would only have grown if a player Chelsea had been speaking to for over a month chose to go to Tottenham instead. There is a case to be made that putting up with the Tel stuff isn't worth it for Chelsea but he really is a talented attacker and would repay the time spent on getting something over the line.
