Fernandez's future and Premier League title hopes

Nizaar Kinsella has been answering some of the questions you have sent in about Chelsea during the international break.

Jacob asked: With the speculation that Enzo Fernandez is being eyed up by the likes of Real Madrid, how big a loss would he be and who would be a suitable replacement for such a key player?

Nizaar answered: First of all, I am inclined to say he will stay at Chelsea, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League next season.

Enzo Fernandez would be a significant loss, given he is almost always available and is behind only Joao Pedro for goal involvements in all competitions this season. His ability to operate as both a number six and a number 10 underlines how difficult he would be to replace.

There are likely to be several midfielders on the market this summer, potentially including England internationals Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton.

Lorne asked: At what stage of the project under this ownership group do Chelsea target to compete and win the Premier League?

Nizaar answered: I suspect Chelsea's ownership would have hoped to be much closer to winning the Premier League by now, having owned the club for almost four years since their 2022 takeover. That would suggest they have been less successful than they expected.

However, when you speak to those involved, they genuinely believe they will compete for the Premier League title in time, even if they recognise that other clubs hold advantages and that closing the gap has proved difficult.

Come back to this page later for the final part of our Chelsea Q&A