Next Chelsea manager inherits Enzo Maresca problem as January transfer window priority revealed

Enzo Maresca was let down by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart during his spell as Chelsea boss, with many of the signings failing to impress

Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart forked out over £500million on players during Enzo Maresca's spell in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, yet they hardly improved the squad. Now, whoever replaces the Italian will be tasked with forcing a square peg into a round hole.

The Chelsea sporting directors spent just over £250million during the summer of 2024. Winstanley and Stewart signed eight first-team players: Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Renato Veiga, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, and Marc Guiu, as well as Tosin Adarabioyo on a free and Jadon Sancho on loan.

The Blues also signed Mike Penders, Aaron Anselmino, and Caleb Wiley, who were then sent out on loan, as well as Omari Kellyman. Ironically, two of the first-team arrivals were offloaded in the January transfer window, having failed to establish key roles in the starting lineup.

In the meantime, Maresca had proved he was capable of building a title-winning team. Chelsea enjoyed a promising start to the season, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Despite the Italian's efforts, he wasn't backed by Winstanley and Stewart over the festive period, with Mathis Amougou being the only signing. Predictably, with a weaker squad compared to Mikel Arteta and Arne Slot, the Blues fell behind and they were drawn into a race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Not only did Maresca finish in the top-four, he also won the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup. For the first time under the new ownership, Chelsea made progress.

The west Londoners had shown great promise, but they were still in desperate need of a new centre-half. Instead, the sporting directors splashed just over £250million on two strikers, two left-wingers, a left-back, a holding midfielder, and an attacking midfielder on loan.

Ironically, the only centre-half that Winstanley and Stewart signed in the summer of 2025 was Mamadou Sarr, who swiftly returned to Strasbourg on loan. Maresca made a last ditch effort to bolster his backline at the end of August when he revealed his desire to replace Levi Colwill, who had suffered a season-ending injury in pre-season.

The Italian voiced his concerns about the suitability of his other defenders to play the role of central centre-half. Taking his first of a few cryptic digs at the board, Maresca said: "The club know exactly what I think.

"I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think."

A couple of days later, the former Chelsea boss changed his tune and claimed he would assess his options internally. He said: "I already said that we are looking for internal solutions.

"We are trying to find internal solutions. I repeat again. Maybe I need to improve my English..."

Winstanley and Stewart spent over £500million on players during Maresca's spell in charge, yet they hardly improved the squad, with many of the additions proving surplus to requirements.

The jury is still, of course, out for those that have hardly featured for Chelsea. But, whoever takes the reins at Stamford Bridge will have to get a tune out of those who let Maresca down when the lights shined brightest.