Chelsea FC are getting pretty fit, as a squad, right now. Manager Enzo Maresca can make a lot of changes, if he wants to, for the London derby at West Ham United on Saturday. If Maresca wishes, he could start the most expensive midfield of all-time: Romeo Lavia £58 million ($74m), Enzo Fernandez £107 million ($132 million) and Moises Caicedo £115 million ($147m).
That’s a midfield trio with a combined cost of £280 million ($353m). Could we finally see the entire troika featuring, in the middle of the park together, for the first time ever?
London Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Sept. 21, 12:30pm, London Stadium
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea West Ham
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC 45% West Ham United 30% Draw 25%
PL Form, Position: West Ham United LWLD, 4 pts, 14th Chelsea FC LWDW, 7 pts, 8th
With monetary figures like the ones we just quoted, you can see why the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era has been basically…spending like a drunken sailor. Lavia only featured for a little cameo, in one game, last season, so now that he’s probably finally fully fit, maybe we’ll see what he can really do.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction at West Ham United
Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia; Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer; Nicolas Jackson.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.