Chelsea might part ways with their home-grown talent Trevoh Chalobah, with Tottenham Hotspur emerging as potential suitors.
Former Spurs defender and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has weighed in on the possibility of the centre-back moving to the Lilywhites in the upcoming transfer window.
The Blues are reportedly open to selling several players this summer to ensure compliance with PSR rules, including Chalobah.
The Cobham Academy graduate’s contract at Stamford Bridge runs until June 2028, but despite this long-term deal, Chelsea might be forced to offload the defender to balance their books and register an absolute profit, as the sale of academy players directly benefits their financial standing.
Last season, Chalobah was not a regular under Mauricio Pochettino, making the starting XI in just 26% of Premier League games and totalling only 13 appearances. (Transfermarkt)
Tottenham have been linked with a surprise move for the Chelsea defender, with recent reports claiming that the club has already made inquiries for him.
Speaking to Tottenham News, Alan Hutton pointed out that if Chelsea needs to offload players to meet Financial Fair Play requirements, they might be willing to let Chalobah go.
From the 24-year-old’s perspective, joining a team where he can play regularly is crucial. Moving to another club just to be a squad player would not be beneficial for his career.
However, Hutton expressed doubts about Chalobah’s willingness to move to a rival London club, noting that transfers between direct competitors have become less common.
He said:
“Over the past few years moves from rival to rival don’t seem to happen as much.
“Especially when they’re battling each other, I know Tottenham finished higher this season but in terms of moving forward, they are rivals so it is always a difficult one to move across that boundary.
“That being said, if Chelsea are in a situation where they have to get rid of players to adhere to FFP, it could be a situation where they would be willing to let him go.
“From Chalobah’s point of view, he needs to go to a team where he is going to play regularly, there is no point in going to another side where you’re going to be a squad player.”
At Tottenham, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero firmly established as starters, and Radu Dragusin also available, Chalobah might struggle to get regular playing time.
Therefore, while Chelsea’s financial needs might facilitate a transfer, Chalobah’s need for consistent first-team action could make a move to Spurs less appealing.