Enzo Maresca demands Chelsea transfer and suggests two Blues stars can't replace Levi Colwill

Enzo Maresca has demanded Chelsea sign a new centre-back following the serious knee injury suffered by Levi Colwill, as two of the club's current crop aren't able to replace the England international.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Premier League opener vs Crystal Palace, he said: “Levi is OK, he is aware that he has to be out for a long time. It is a big loss for us. You know how important Levi has been for us last season, for the way we want to play.

“We said many times that we are able to create chances and to attack in the right way if we are able to build in the right way. Levi was a huge part of our build-up, and now he is out and we are going to try to find a different solution. We are trying to find a solution internally but the club know exactly what I think.”

He added: “I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think.”

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And Maresca underlined his need by claiming that no one else in the Chelsea squad was able to play the way Colwill does, other than Tosin Abarabioyo, citing Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile as two players not up to the job. He said: “When we build, we build with Levi in the middle. It’s different to the player on the left side.

“Last year we played 64 games and we played 64 games with Levi and Tosin. Now Levi is out. The only one that can do that job well is Tosin. But we have Premier League and Champions League [to compete for this season].

“The rest, they can adapt. [Jorell] Hato is a new one, he never played as the guy in the middle last season [for Ajax]. So it’s not about being a central defender. Yes, [he is a] central defender. Can he do that? It’s different, it’s not just about that.

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“And also we have players that unfortunately, like Wes or Benoît, they have in this moment some problems. And this is the reason why I said that the club knows exactly what I think about central defenders.”

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