ENZO Maresca has made a bold prediction that Chelsea will “dominate English football” within the next decade.
The Blues are third in the Premier League going into Wednesday’s clash against Southampton at St Mary’s, level on points, goal difference and goals scored with Arsenal.
Maresca, 44, has played down his side’s chances of winning the title, perhaps justifiably with Liverpool nine points clear.
Chelsea have spent around £1.5billon under owner Todd Boehly since 2022, with much of it going on young players. The Blues spent over £100million each on midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Mosies Caicedo, both 23.
Cole Palmer is one of the best players in the league at 22, while striker Nicolas Jackson, 23, has hit scoring form this season with eight goals in fourteen games.
Chelsea’s squad has an average age of 23, giving Maresca confidence that the future is bright.
“We’re not in the title race. We are not, in my opinion,” Maresca at the pre-match press conference before the Saints game.
“What I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to ten years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football.
“This is what I said this to the club the first time I met them. No matter who will be the manager, for the next five or ten years, because of the age, the squad, you can dominate English football, and I still think exactly the same.
“In terms of a target they didn’t ask me for any target, only to try to build something important for the next years. I think we are [going] in the right direction.
“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.”
