Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blue submit offer for Barcelona ace; club identify Mauricio Pochettino replacement, and more - May 24, 2024

Chelsea finished the season in sixth place in the Premier League and have since parted ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino. The club are now looking for a new face to take over.

Meanwhile, the Blues have submitted a proposal for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. Elsewhere, the London giants have identified Pochettino's replacement.

On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on May 24, 2024:

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Chelsea submit offer for Ronald Araujo

Ronald Araujo

Chelsea have submitted a proposal for Ronald Araujo to consider, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The Uruguayan defender is a first team regular at Barcelona, but the club are apparently considering his departure to address their financial woes. Araujo was wanted at Bayern Munich in January, and the Bavarians are likely to return for him in the summer. Meanwhile, Manchester United also have their eyes on the 25-year-old.

However, the Blues are hoping to win the race by convincing the player to move. The London giants have identified Araujo as the ideal replacement for Thiago Silva, who will return to Fluminense this summer.

However, they are yet to submit an offer to the Blaugrana for the player. The Uruguayan's contract with the Spanish giants runs till 2026, and the club are likely to demand a hefty fee for his services.

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Blues identify Mauricio Pochettino replacement

Enzo Maresca

Chelsea have identified Enzo Maresca as a possible replacement for Mauricio Pochettino, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs.

The Italian manager took charge of Leicester City last summer and helped them earn promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship this season. His efforts have apparently turned heads at Stamford Bridge, with the club looking for a new manager at the moment.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said that the Blues are trying to copy the Arsenal model with Maresca.

"With Maresca, the appeal is that he's a Pep disciple. Chelsea have looked at the Arsenal model and the patience given to Mikel Arteta and the fact that he worked under Pep, and the belief within Chelsea is that the Arsenal project is coming to fruition now because there have been five years of patience with a manager that ticks those three boxes; football fit, personality fit, strategic fit," said Jacobs.

He continued:

"Of course, Chelsea hoped that would be the case with Potter. They hoped it would be the case for Pochettino, but the feeling is that they haven't quite found the right fit.

"But in managers like Maresca and McKenna, there's a sense that they can get it right, they can stabilise things, and they can move forward in a long-term relationship with a young, progressive manager."

Maresca has won 36 of his 53 games in charge of the Foxes, registering a 67.92% win ratio.

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Chelsea set to sign Messinho, says journalist

Chelsea are set to secure the services of Estevao William, according to journalist Paulo Vinicius Coelho.

The Brazilian forward, dubbed Messinho for his playing style, has earned admiration from multiple clubs in Europe. Barcelona have also been named as a possible suitor for the 17-year-old, who only recently broke into Palmeiras' senior team.

Speaking recently as cited by Caught Offside, Coelho added that the Blues are offering much more than the player's release clause to get a deal done.

“Palmeiras have put a clause in the process of selling Estêvão, which is at an end.

"Estevao will be sold to Chelsea, it’s not signed yet, but he will be sold to Chelsea and there are clauses that André Hernan brought to you on Saturday, first-hand, for the deal to reach €65m, which is €20m more than Estêvão’s termination fine, which is €45m,” said Coelho.

The London giants have invested heavily in talented youngsters recently, and Messinho fits the bill.