Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah was one of a number of Blues stars up for sale in the summer, however, a move away from Stamford Bridge never transpired for the 24-year-old, leaving him in limbo in West London.
The versatile performer, who can operate in defence and midfield, could even be frozen out at Chelsea between now and January according to several reports, with manager Mauricio Pochettino only keen to work with players that have a long-term future at the club.
Chalobah was close to joining former boss Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich on Deadline Day, however, time slipped by and a loan arrangement couldn’t be hashed out before the close of business, leaving the player stranded at Chelsea
Chalobah’s Deadline Day rollercoaster
Considered surplus to requirements by Pochettino, Chalobah was on the lookout for a new club over the summer and several suitors registered an interest in the Blues’ home-grown starlet.
Chelsea were one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the transfer market and the signing Axel Disasi from Monaco and the return of loanee Levi Colwill from Brighton pushed Chalobah down the pecking order in the list of Pochettino’s favoured defensive options.
Chalobah, who is expected to be out until the end of the month with a hamstring issue, has yet to kick a ball in anger this term and bar a major injury crisis at the back, he is unlikely to force his way back into the Chelsea XI.
Nottingham Forest made a late dash to sign Chalobah in the last throes of the transfer window, however, that move didn’t interest the player, who instead was tempted by the idea of joining German giants Bayern Munich on loan.
Initially, Chelsea were believed to be demanding around £50m for Chalobah, though Forest seemed to make a breakthrough at around £25m for the Sierra Leone-born defender before he rejected the Reds’ advances.
Bayern head honcho Thomas Tuchel however, was willing to bring Chalobah to Munich on loan for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign, but the Germans made their move too late and were unable to complete the necessary formalities in time.
Tuchel gave Chalobah his debut at Chelsea back in 2021 during the German coach’s successful stint at Stamford Bridge and a reunion between the pair in the Bundesliga would have been a fitting solution for all parties.
Chalobah’s future – what now?
Trevoh Chalobah signed a new deal until 2028 with Chelsea as recently as last November, however, his days with the Blues seem numbered and patience will be required from the ex-England U21 international between now and January.
Chalobah is believed to see his future at a club with a similar statue to Chelsea’s and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bayern rekindling their interest in him when the winter window opens in three months’ time.
The defensive specialist could have other suitors lined up by the time January rolls around however, though working under Thomas Tuchel again will probably be the player’s priority if that route is still open.
Chalobah racked up 63 appearances in all competitions over the past two seasons for Chelsea, scoring four times along the way.
