(FILES) Leicester City’s Italian head coach Enzo Maresca gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup Quarter Final football match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge, in London, on March 17, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca asserted on Wednesday that he was not overseeing a "mess" within the squad, despite the club's ongoing transfer activities.

Joao Felix has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, marking his return from Atletico Madrid after a disappointing loan period during the 2022/23 season, which also facilitated Conor Gallagher's transfer in the opposite direction.

Maresca now possesses one of the largest squads in the Premier League; however, he has indicated that Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are not included in his future plans.

In remarks made prior to Chelsea's Conference League play-off against Servette, Maresca expressed that the criticism directed at the club's transfer strategy has been unjust.

“I am not working with 42 players, I am working with 21 players (in first-team training),” the Italian said.

“It’s not a mess like it looks from outside. The other players can even have 20 years contract, it is not my point. I don’t care.”

‘Impossible to give everyone minutes’

With regard to the positions of Sterling and Chilwell, he further stated: “In this moment, they are training apart (from the squad). As I said, the situation with both of them is quite clear.

“We have a big squad, for me it’s impossible to give everyone minutes so if they’re looking for minutes, probably it is better to leave. And in case they don’t leave, they have a contract here, they are Chelsea players.”

However, he was understandably more optimistic about Joao Felix, with Maresca — whose team commenced the new Premier League season with a 2-0 loss to reigning champions Manchester City last weekend — stating: “He is a good player, a talent. The club already knows him from two years ago.

“He can play different positions with us, inside, as a nine, outside.”

The transfer fee for the former Benfica player has not been disclosed, despite earlier reports from the UK media indicating that Chelsea had consented to a payment of £40 million ($51 million) to Atletico.

Joao Felix, who joined Atletico in 2019, has played 131 matches for Diego Simeone’s team, although he was on loan at Barcelona for the previous season.

Additionally, he had a six-month loan period with Chelsea, during which he made 20 appearances and netted four goals.

“I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day,” the player told Chelsea’s official website.

“To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m excited to be back.”

Recently, Gallagher finalized his permanent transfer following the failure of a planned move to a Spanish club, which fell through last week due to Chelsea's inability to reach an agreement for Atletico striker Samu Omorodion.

Since returning to Chelsea last week, Gallagher has been training individually after being seen in Spain in connection with his anticipated £33 million transfer.

The 24-year-old, who was part of Chelsea's 2019 Europa League victory, departs the London club after making 95 appearances and scoring 10 goals.