Chelsea star set for shock move to North London rivals

His transfer strategy has drawn a lot of criticism after the club failed to translate this into performances on the pitch.

This season has seen a massive shift under Enzo Maresca, and the club are currently in second place, just two points off leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand.

This has seen Chelsea's title odds slashed to 7/2, making them second favourites behind Liverpool and narrowly ahead of third-placed Arsenal. The top licensed UK and non-Gamstop bookmakers also have Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson in the top five for top goalscorer betting odds.

Despite this change in fortune, it was inevitable that some new signings would struggle to get game time, with one of these set to move on with interest from other top EPL teams.

The Interested Teams

Dewsbury-Hall made the move to Chelsea from Leicester for £30 million in the Summer following Leicester's financial worries. The large transfer fee and takuing a top earner off the wage bill helped them comply with financial fair play regulations, but things haven't gone to plan at his new club.

He has made just 14 appearances for Chelsea this season, with 7 of those coming in the Uefa Europa Conference League and qualifiers. Just 5 Premier League appearances and 2 in the EFL Cup have seen rumours about his long-term chances at Chelsea arise.

He will be keen to avoid what happened to Danny Drinkwater who also moved from Leicester to Chelsea at a similar age, for a similar price, and on the same length of contract.

According to reports, Arsenal are the favourite to land the playmaker in January, despite reported interest from Manchester United, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and talk of a return to Leicester.

Maresca knows just how good Desbury-Hall is, with the midfielder contributing with 14 assists and 12 goals last season.

Despite this, he could be moving across London to rivals Arsenal who already have Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling on loan, another move that has failed to live up to the hype.

What Went Wrong At Chelsea For Dewsbury-Hall

Sometimes transfers don’t work out for a variety of reasons, but Desbury-Hall’s previous relationship with Maresca made this one look like a no-brainer. 

The main issue is the unbelievable squad depth at Maresca's disposal with the likes of Fernandez, Felix, Palmer, Caicedo, Casadei, Kellyman, Lavia, and Chuckwuemeka all available for the club.

Carney Chuckwuemeka is another midfielder being linked with a move away from the club in January. 

While he has struggled for domestic game-time, Chelsea's European squad left out a number of key players to give them time to rest. This has provided fringe players with the opportunity to get game time and push for the first team.

Conclusion

With Maresca favouring Fernandez and Caicedo in the centre of the park, Dewsbury-Hall might have to move to get the game time he needs. A move to Arsenal would give him the opportunity to continue fighting for an EPL title and other silverware, but Chelsea might have concerns about losing him to a direct rival.

A move to the likes of Tottenham, Villa, Manchester United, or Newcastle could see him become an integral figure in a developing side, while a return to Leicester would see him get a hero's welcome.