Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has made a bold prediction about the future of the club, stating that they will “dominate” the Premier League in the next five to 10 years. Maresca’s comments come despite the team’s relatively modest ambitions this season, with the Italian playing down their title chances despite being third in the table.

Maresca’s prediction is based on the strength of Chelsea’s squad, which has been built through significant investment in recent transfer windows. The club has spent over £1.5 billion on new players since the Clearlake takeover, with a focus on signing younger players on longer contracts. The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Nicolas Jackson are already making an impact, and Maresca believes that this squad will be the foundation of Chelsea’s future success.

Despite his optimism about the future, Maresca remains cautious about Chelsea’s chances this season. The team is currently nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, and Maresca believes that their inexperience will ultimately count against them.

Maresca’s comments suggest that Chelsea are taking a long-term view, focusing on building a strong squad that can compete for titles in the future. The club’s owners did not set specific targets for Maresca when he took over; instead, they asked him to build something important for the next few years. He believes that the team is heading in the right direction, but acknowledges that there is still much work to be done.

Meanwhile, the Blues boss confirmed that centre-back Wesley Fofana will be out for “weeks” with a hamstring injury, while captain Reece James is also sidelined ahead of their midweek game where they face Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Chelsea’s match against Southampton will be a crucial test of their mettle, and Maresca will be hoping that his team can secure a win to keep their momentum going.