Enzo Maresca’s nine-man Chelsea attacking plan puts Arsenal on red hot transfer alert

Enzo Maresca wants to have nine attacking players in his Chelsea squad next season, and that could lead to exits for one or more of his current crop of Blues stars

Chelsea’s desire to have nine attackers in their first-team squad for next season could end up pushing three of their current players out – including Arsenal target Noni Madueke.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca is said to want a first-team squad of 22 or 23 players going into the new Premier League season, with up to nine of those being attack-minded.

Chelsea have already added Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro to their ranks this summer, and as it stands their attacking ranks will be made up of the new trio, Madueke, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and exciting new Brazilian youngster Willian Estevao, who will join from Palmeiras having agreed his switch last summer.

But The Telegraph report that three of that number, namely Madueke, Jackson and Nkunku, are vulnerable to Chelsea launching further attacking moves this summer as they remain linked with several names.

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Of those three, England international winger Madueke would be seen as the most interesting player on the market.

The Telegraph report adds that Chelsea would be willing to listen to offers for the 23-year-old with Arsenal known to be admirers.

The Gunners are looking to revamp their attacking options this summer, and are growing closer towards completing a deal for the Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres, who has emerged as their main striker target ahead of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

The Gunners are also being strongly linked with a move for Madueke’s England international team-mate Eberechi Eze, who is said to be open to leaving Crystal Palace to return to a club where he was on the books as a youngster.

Chelsea have also been linked with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus this summer, with any move for one or more of those players putting the Stamford Bridge futures of Madueke, Jackson and/or Nkunku in peril.

Young Blues forwards Tyrique George and Marc Guiu could be sent out on loan to gain some valuable first-team experience, while there is no future at the club for either Raheem Sterling or Joao Felix, and Mykhailo Mudryk is still facing up his potential doping ban.

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