Pundit issues Trevoh Chalobah exit claim after Chelsea U-turn
Noel Whelan has insisted “exciting” young defender Trevoh Chalobah has a “real future” at Chelsea after they blocked a possible loan exit.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 23-year-old didn’t “put a foot wrong” during his breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge in 2021-22.
According to Fabrizio Romano (28 August), Chalobah will now remain at Chelsea past the deadline despite holding talks with Inter, AC Milan, and RB Leipzig about a potential loan move.
It is claimed that manager Thomas Tuchel and owner Todd Boehly decided to keep the centre-back following “internal talks”.
The defender made his first start of 2022-23 against Leicester on Saturday (27 August) – deputising for the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly.
Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “They’re very light on centre-halves even if they bring in Fofana.
“They need cover and bodies with the three-man defence they play.
“He’s a very exciting young player, and he didn’t do anything wrong last season. He stepped into big shoes and became one of their main defenders.
“It’s the right thing for Tuchel to do.
“I think he’s got a real future at Chelsea as we look at Thiago Silva coming to the back end of his career.”
Chalobah, who came through the Chelsea academy, made 30 appearances during the 2021-22 season but was frozen out at the start of the new campaign.
Tuchel’s side have been linked with a number of centre-backs and are close to signing France youth international Wesley Fofana from Leicester.
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