Chelsea season preview 2024-25: Enzo Maresca's expensively assembled side are complete unknown quantities - but Blues must make fast start to avoid a crisis

The Chelsea fanbase will be trying to stay positive on the eve of the new season, but there is the unshakeable feeling that the Blues will begin 2024-25 under something of a cloud.

On the pitch, pre-season did not go to plan as Maresca's side collected just one win from six games, with their performances characterised by some alarming defensive errors. Off it, the club's transfer business has been bewildering as more and more young players sign on, while academy graduates are emotionlessly put up for sale amid the threat of breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). That has resulted in a sense that the club is losing its identity.

After a disastrous 2022-23 campaign where they finished 12th, the Blues hauled themselves up to sixth under Pochettino last time around. However, there doesn't seem to be any real belief that they will be able to build on that in the new season, and indeed many will fear a slide back towards mid-table mediocrity.

The task facing Maresca is a huge one, and there is an air of incompleteness about the squad as their daunting season opener against champions Manchester City looms. Indeed, the Italian has admitted he doesn't know his best team. "I don’t know my team yet," he said after the final pre-season friendly against Inter. "Pre-season has been very tough, intense, many games going from one city to another city. Now finally we start a normal week."

Where to start? Chelsea have been steadfast in their pursuit of what they believe to be low-cost, high-potential young players, adding striker prospect Marc Guiu (18) from Barcelona, Aston Villa midfielder Omari Kellyman (18), versatile Renato Veiga (20) from Basel and Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen (22). They have also signed defenders Caleb Wiley (19) from Atlanta and Boca Juniors' Aaron Anselmino (19), with both immediately loaned back out. Supporters will be relishing Estevao Willian's arrival in 2025, after Chelsea saw off competition from Europe's elite to land the prodigious Palmeiras winger for £56m ($72m).

The club has deviated from that youth strategy, bringing in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (25) from Maresca's former club Leicester for £30 million ($39m) as a ready-made option for his system, and centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo (26) on a free transfer from Fulham. Their biggest spend to date though, which came out of left field, was the £54m ($70m) splurge on Wolves' Pedro Neto (24), as they added yet another winger to their ranks.

All of those incomings have led to questions over whether the squad has actually been improved, with Maresca the latest Chelsea manager to be left with a bloated group and not much time to cut it down. Their decision-makers still seem determined to add another attacker, with questionable talks ongoing over Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix and Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen still a target.

In terms of outgoings, the Blues have lost the vast experience of Thiago Silva after he returned to Brazil, while academy products Ian Maatsen and Lewis Hall were sold off for pure profit before the PSR deadline in June, alongside Omari Hutchinson. Elsewhere, deadwood in the form of Hakim Ziyech and Malang Sarr has finally been cut away.

However, there is still lots of work to do; the hierarchy seems determined to force Cobham graduates Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja out of the club in a move that will not go down well with the fanbase. Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga - both on huge wages - are still on the books and need to be shifted in what remains of the window.

While Chelsea's movements in the transfer market have done little to inspire confidence, their performances on the pitch certainly haven't lifted the mood either.

Despite facing the likes of Wrexham and Celtic, Maresca was only able to collect one win from six pre-season games. If the draw with the Welsh League One club in the first game of their US tour raised some eyebrows, the 4-1 thumping at the hands of the Scottish champions was deeply concerning.

The comfortable win over Club America - albeit with the help of two penalties - provided something of a reprieve, but it preceded inevitable back-to-back defeats to European behemoths Man City and Real Madrid to wrap up a forgettable tour, as Chelsea were reminded of the current chasm between themselves and the best around. The Blues were able to secure an unconvincing draw against Italian champions Inter at Stamford Bridge to wrap up pre-season.

Results aside, the most concerning thing was the litany of basic defensive errors from the rotation of centre-backs that Maresca called upon across the six games, with each mistake brutally punished. Sloppiness in pre-season can be excused, but that haphazardness is something he absolutely must iron out now Silva has left.

As one of Guardiola's proteges, much has been said and written about Maresca's tactics, but one of the biggest challenges facing him and his players is how quickly his acclaimed approach can be understood and implemented.

Chelsea will set up in an adaptable 4-3-3 formation without the ball that, in true Guardiola-inspired style, becomes more of a 3-2-4-1 in possession as a full-back inverts to anchor alongside the deepest midfield player, while a central midfielder pushes forward to join the No.10 in a more advanced role. The goalkeeper is also expected to play a significant role in the build-up.

Fresh from emerging as a surprise star of Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, Marc Cucurella is slated for the inverted full-back role, while Dewsbury-Hall was signed specifically to be that busy roaming midfielder. Robert Sanchez seems to have done enough to claim the No.1 spot, while Christopher Nkunku has shone in pre-season in the pocket behind the striker. Cole Palmer, therefore, should start off the right wing, and new signing Neto may be first choice on the left. If and when everyone is fit, that makes for a fearsome attacking unit, with the likes of Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk waiting in the wings.

In midfield, there will be question marks over how Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez AND Nkunku all fit; it could be that the Frenchman starts as a striker ahead of Nicolas Jackson. There are no guaranteed starters at centre-back, however, as a youthful defence did not look convincing in pre-season. Maresca seemed to blame those lapses on his predecessor Pochettino's high line, but he won't be able to hide behind that excuse if the issues drag on into the season proper.

With an attacking arsenal at their disposal that includes Palmer, Nkunku and Neto, Chelsea shouldn't have any trouble scoring goals this season. No, it seems like their biggest problem is actually going to be keeping them out.

Their backline looked rusty at best during a difficult pre-season tour, and that is undoubtedly the area where they lack quality the most and look most vulnerable; Wesley Fofana is feeling his way back after a year out injured, Levi Colwill missed the last couple of months of last season, and Adarabioyo is adapting to new surroundings. Meanwhile, Axel Disasi has only just recovered from surgery on a hernia.

It's clear the backline will need some protection as Maresca works out the best combination at centre-back, which puts the onus on £115m ($148m) defensive midfielder Caicedo to really step up and be literally and figuratively their MVP. After a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge, the Ecuadorian was increasingly looking like the player Chelsea thought they were making their record signing as last season wore on, and he will hope to pick up where he left off.

At his best he is a midfield destroyer who doubles as a deep-lying playmaker, and Maresca will need him to be at his top level n the early weeks of his project, working tirelessly in the shadows as attacking players snatch the headlines.

It will be interesting to see which of Chelsea's young signings is able to make a breakthrough, but one stands out above the others before a ball has been kicked in competitive action.

Marc Guiu took a risk by waving goodbye to his boyhood club Barcelona, but he will know that he has a good chance of regular first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge despite being just 18 years old, having already seen plenty of minutes in pre-season.

Much will depend on whether the club go all out to sign Osimhen from Napoli, but as it stands he will currently be battling Jackson for the No.9 spot - a tussle the youngster has the ability to win.

Boasting pace, physicality beyond his years and finishing ability, the teenager has all the attributes required to succeed in the Premier League, and the Blues' Conference League campaign will provide him with a platform to stake a claim to regular minutes in domestic action.

This is the big question for Chelsea and their followers, as they begin another season as unknown quantities off the back of a challenging summer. At this stage, the only thing that can lift the mood and detoxify the souring attitude towards the club hierarchy is results on the pitch.

To avoid a swift slide into full-blown crisis mode, Maresca needs a good start and some authoritative performances to boot. Although Man City represent the toughest possible opening opponent, the fixture list is more kind thereafter and the Blues will be expected to collect points. The fans will hope there is some lingering confidence after the excellent finish to the previous campaign, as they wrapped things up with five wins from five games.

However, the miserable pre-season tour has raised some serious questions over exactly what Chelsea are capable of this season, especially amid fierce competition for a top-six place in the Premier League. There is the sense that Pochettino's departure, Maresca's arrival and some questionable transfer business has seen them take a step backwards, as a bloated squad now seeks to adapt to another coach's complex tactical system.

That adaptation period will take some time and Chelsea will also be desperate to avoid the kind of injury crisis that crippled them last season. If they can keep their best players fit and the players can apply Maresca's ideas swiftly, they have the tools to pull off a top-six finish again and in Europe they will back themselves to win the Conference League. The problem is that there are just so many variables, ifs and buts.

Player of the Season: Cole Palmer. There is nothing to suggest Palmer won't continue on his current trajectory after last season's incredible exploits, even if others struggle around him - Chelsea are very lucky to have him.

Biggest disappointment: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Signed as a system player to fit Maresca's tactics, the former Leicester man may struggle to adapt to the demands of a club desperate to climb back to the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Best signing: Marc Guiu. Costing as little as £5m and with huge potential, the ex-Barcelona man promises to be one of few success stories of Chelsea's youth transfer strategy.

Top scorer: Christopher Nkunku. The Frenchman has demonstrated his prowess in front of goal in pre-season and - if he can stay fit - there is no reason he can't become one of the Blue's most important attackers.

European fate: Conference League winners. The competition could well be Chelsea's saving grace, and victory will guarantee a Europa League place for 2025-26.

League position: Sixth. Even this prediction is optimistic, and anything beyond that would be an absolute pipe dream - Chelsea fans will just be happy to avoid a slide towards mid-table.