At Chelsea, with a revolving door of managers, blockbuster signings, and sky-high expectations, Stamford Bridge is no place for passengers. If you’re not pulling your weight, you’re packing your bags.
Ahead of Enzo Maresca’s second season, the pressure is already mounting not just on him, but on several players fighting to prove they belong in the Blues squad.
The 2025/26 campaign could be the final audition for a handful of players whose futures hang in the balance. With a list of rising stars like Andrey Santos, Josh Acheampong, and incoming Estevão Willian, the time for excuses is over. Perform now or risk being sold; those are the stakes.
Softfootball takes a look at five Chelsea players who face a crucial crossroads ahead of the new season. Shine, and they could become club mainstays; stumble, and their Stamford Bridge journey could be over.
1. Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke is electric, fast, fearless, and full of flair. He dances past defenders with ease, always willing to take a risk and conjure up something special, but for all his highlights and flashy footwork, there’s one thing he hasn’t yet mastered: consistency.
One week he’s dazzling, as he did when he lit up Wolves with a brilliant hat-trick, next, he’s over-dribbling, losing the ball, or fading in the biggest moments, like away to Liverpool or Manchester City.
Madueke has the raw tools to be a star, but he must prove he can be dangerous against top-tier opposition, not just on his best days. If he stays beyond this summer transfer and doesn’t start delivering end product regularly, Chelsea’s patience may wear thin, especially with so many young attackers waiting in the wings.
2. Romeo Lavia
It’s been a frustrating, stop-start chapter for Roméo Lavia at Chelsea. Plagued by injuries and limited to just 20 appearances, the £58m midfielder has struggled to show why the club went all-in on him. While some flashes of quality are there, they’ve been overshadowed by costly errors like the needless penalty conceded against Leicester and a general lack of authority in midfield.
At just 21, Lavia has time on his side, but not unlimited patience from the Chelsea board. Maresca wants midfielders who can dictate the tempo and dominate the ball, and Lavia hasn’t yet looked capable of doing that. If he can’t stay fit and start asserting himself this season, he may find himself surplus to requirements in a squad full of midfield competition.
3. Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson’s debut campaign was a mixed bag, so much promise, so many misses. 24 goals in 65 appearances is a solid return, but the numbers tell only half the story.
Jackson’s movement is sharp, his pace terrifying for defenders, and he’s excellent at getting into dangerous positions, but too often, he snatches at chances or picks the wrong option in key moments.
Add in a moment of madness his red card in the Club World Cup, and the jury’s still out on whether he can lead the line long-term. With Liam Delap now at the club and competition increasing, Jackson needs to sharpen his finishing and his decision-making, or risk slipping down the pecking order.
Looking at Jackson’s overall numbers and given his age, there is potential for growth and improvement. While I find value overall in what he does, he can be a tough player to carry on a team because he will almost always draw frustration from the fanbase and is a target for trolling from rivals.
4. Tosin Adarabioyo
Tosin Adarabioyo looked like a clever, cost-effective signing when Chelsea brought him in from Fulham. A towering centre-back with solid technique and passing range, he ticked plenty of boxes on paper, but in reality, his first season was underwhelming.
Starting just 15 league games largely due to injuries, Adarabioyo didn’t quite bring the same dominance he showed at Fulham. His aerial success rate dipped, his progressive passing stats fell off, and he hasn’t carried the ball out from the back as confidently as expected.
Maresca is building a system where centre-backs must do more than just defend, and unless Adarabioyo can elevate his performances quickly, he’ll remain a backup at best or, worse, a candidate for a quick exit.
5. Levi Colwill
Let’s be clear, Levi Colwill isn’t in immediate danger of being shown the door. A Cobham academy product and long seen as a cornerstone of Chelsea’s future, Colwill remains highly regarded, but reputation only gets you so far, and his 2024/25 campaign was far from his best.
After a breakout 2023/24, expectations were high, but Colwill seemed to regress. There were more unforced errors, shakier moments in possession, and lapses in one-on-one defending that raised eyebrows. He’s still young, still immensely talented, but Chelsea have shown they’re not afraid to make ruthless decisions. Just ask Conor Gallagher.
Colwill will likely start the season in Maresca’s XI, but another underwhelming campaign could see his status as a guaranteed starter seriously questioned.
Chelsea is a club in a constant state of reinvention. With no shortage of ambition or alternatives, players can go from promising to expendable in a matter of months. For Madueke, Lavia, Jackson, Adarabioyo, and even Colwill, 2025/26 is more than just another season. It’s a career-defining chapter.
They don’t just need to play well. They need to make their mark because at Chelsea, if you’re not moving forward, you’re already being left behind.
In an earlier post by softfootball, it was revealed that Chelsea are through to the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup following a hard fought 2-1 victory over Brazilian side Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.
The match which was played at the Lincoln Financial Field enjoyed a fantastic atmosphere with fans enjoying the encounter. Chelsea captain Reece James picked up an injury during the warm up and was replaced in the starting lineup by Andre Santos.
