The situation at Chelsea seems to be getting worse each week, and the club’s expensive signing of Enzo Fernandez is turning sour. After recording a net spend of nearly $600 million during the 2022/23 campaign, the Blues only managed to finish 12th in the Premier League table. A majority of the stars purchased during that season were under the age of 23. As a result, many assumed that the club would start to show promise during the current campaign.

This, however, has yet to happen and the 2023/24 season is about 60% complete. Chelsea now sits 11th in the standings following back-to-back losses. The most recent defeat came at the hands of Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Not only did the visitors smash the Blues 4-2 in West London, but they moved ahead of Chelsea in the table as well.

Report claims multiple players do not believe in Chelsea project

With things not improving for Chelsea, recent reports suggest that several young players are unhappy with their current situation. In a comprehensive piece regarding the team’s precarious situation, The Athletic mentions that several stars even regret signing long-term contracts at the club. While the news outlet did not name specific players, they do not believe in the project that was previously sold to them.

Since Todd Boehly bought the team in 2022, the Blues have regularly signed recruits to lengthy deals. This is an amortization technique that allows Chelsea to spread out transfer fees over the entirety of the player’s contract. Nevertheless, Premier League officials recently put the kibosh on the maneuver.

Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Nicolas Jackson are all currently under contract with Chelsea until the summer of 2031. However, many other new signings also agreed to deals reaching beyond the typical three or four-year length.

Enzo Fernandez and others ready for Chelsea exit

While The Athletic may have kept the disgruntled players anonymous, Football Transfers has not. The publication claims that Fernandez, and his agent, are even working on ways to move away from Chelsea shortly. The Argentine midfielder has not exactly lived up to his $130 million transfer fee from a year ago.

This fee was a record incoming for a Premier League club at the time. Chelsea, however, broke the record once again by bringing in Caicedo for around $145 million from Brighton back in August. The duo were expected to be a top tandem for new manager Mauricio Pochettino this season. Nevertheless, the duo have not lived up to their lofty expectations.

Pochettino even publicly claimed that the two need to get better quickly.

“The relationship between them needs to improve of course, between them and individually also,” the manager said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Everton in December. “They are young, the expectation is massive when you arrive.”

Along with Fernandez, the aforementioned news source also added that Mudryk asked Chelsea officials for a recent transfer. The Ukrainian talked to team executives about going out on loan during the January transfer market. However, Pochettino and company denied the request. Mudryk has started nine top-flight matches this season, scoring just three goals.

Pochettino and Chelsea will look to get back on track against Aston Villa on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The manager recently admitted that his job is currently under threat. Nevertheless, the club may be handcuffed due to the financial implications of firing yet another coach.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.