Chelsea stars on transfer red alert after £92m agreement as Enzo Maresca left brutal dilemma

When everyone is available, Chelsea have six wingers in the squad. For what are only two slots on either side of Cole Palmer, with Nicolas Jackson the only orthodox striker, there is a lot of competition.

Injuries and Mykhailo Mudryk's ongoing suspension after testing positive for having traces of a banned substance in his system have seen Enzo Maresca stretched. Across the last four weeks he has had three senior widemen and the support of 19-year-old Tyrique George.

One of those, Pedro Neto, has played up front to cover for Jackson. Away at Copenhagen in the Conference League, with the absence of Joao Felix, central midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall operated in a right-wing role.

From an abundance of options to being extremely limited, Chelsea starting XI against Arsenal on Sunday was a patchwork attack missing Palmer. It is little surprise that they were unable to properly test the league's best defence.

This is all set to change (again) over the summer. Estevao Willian will arrive from Palmeiras as one of the most highly-rated players of his generation. He could cost up to £51million if all add-ons are met.

Estevao will be 18 when he arrives and will need time to adapt to life in England but is expected to have a first-team role at Stamford Bridge next season. That immediately adds direct competition (or backup) for Madueke on the right. Both George and Sancho can play on that side but prefer a spot on the left.

Neto is more naturally a right-sided player but is able to operate across the frontline. Mudryk, should he be able to play, is a left-winger and has not been tasked with playing elsewhere under Enzo Maresca.

Estevao will be joined by Kendry Paez. The Ecuadorian teenager is much more raw than Estevao but is another promising attacker capable of playing on the right. He is a more orthodox No.10 and could even be seen deeper than that as well.

What does this mean for George? Well, he's up against it. Across the past month he has been increasingly trusted by Maresca but that has not transpired into league starts.

George is arguably Chelsea's most in-form winger right now and offers a different style to Nkunku and Sancho. He remains a firm second-string choice, though.

Partially this is due to his experience. George is playing in his first full season of senior football and it was only earlier this year that Maresca admitted he did not view the Cobham graduate as being "100% ready."

What he has brought through speed and directness is not matched by the current options. Nkunku is back to playing out wide, a position he does not and has never favoured. He is allowed to drift inside if Marc Cucurella holds the width but has still rarely been anywhere close to his productive best.

As for Sancho, he is now playing on his weaker side and is struggling perhaps even more than before. It has been four months since his last goal and 13 appearances for an assist.

George, in the meantime, has proven more effective in his cameos. Over the summer there will be a number of decisions to make here.

Chelsea will trigger an obligation-to-buy in Sancho's contract if they finish above 15th. That is almost certain now. They will have to agree a contract with him as well. Manchester United are currently paying part of his large wages but Chelsea will be keen to have those reduced based on his impact and different payment structure.

It has been reported this week that Chelsea do have the chance to cancel this deal, but it will take a significant payment. Whether the club will consider that is not yet clear. They have been looking at bringing in another winger for the past two transfer windows and may well still look to do that over the summer even with Estevao and Paez added.

Alejandro Garnacho was pursued over the winter. Nico Williams is another long-term target. Jamie Gittens is a player of interest

Nkunku, on the other hand, appears to be heading towards an exit. He did not get the minutes in Premier League football that he would have hoped for before the midway point and was open to leaving in January. Given his form and the lack of fit under Maresca, trying to cash in on him is one of the likely moves.

Sancho, meanwhile, is not definite to be as happy with returning to Old Trafford. If he does not stay at Chelsea then being in the plans at United is out of the equation and he would need a new club. He was desperate to depart last year and will not be jumping at the chance to go back - especially after his "freedom" message sent to Marcus Rashford following the attacker's loan move to Aston Villa in January. Sancho said earlier this month he was extremely content at Stamford Bridge.

There is then Felix to consider. He is on loan at Milan but will be back in the Chelsea squad over the summer, where his future will be decided. Mudryk's suspension and potential ban will all impact what else goes on.

Looking further down the line and matters are complicated more. Last week football.london learned that Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £41million to sign Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda. He will spend the next 15 months in Portugal before moving to London, where he will be another to be assessed.

Quenda is able to play from both wings and despite being used in a more defensive role under Ruben Amorim, Chelsea see him primarily as a forward. At 17, Quenda is regarded as another of the hottest prospects out there.

In an ideal world, Chelsea have Quenda on one side and Estevao on the other in a couple of years. What does this mean in the more immediate future for George and Sancho? For George it is a concern.

He is up against £92million worth of teenage talent both with enormous reputations and serious levels of investment from the Chelsea hierarchy. He needs the minutes to develop as a senior player but is already struggling to get those in big doses. The competition for places is only going to increase in the coming weeks and months as well.

He and Sancho now have just over 12 months to fight for their place. The rate of change within the squad suggests that it is now make or break for both, whether that is fair enough or not.

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