Liam Rosenior wants players with “emotional stability” when Chelsea enter the transfer market this summer.
A turbulent Blues season took another twist on Friday when the head coach confirmed vice-captain Enzo Fernández will miss two matches as a sanction for comments made on a podcast during the international break.
The 25-year-old has been linked with Real Madrid and responded to a question about his future by saying that he would like to live in the Spanish capital, the latest in a string of hints he wants to leave.
A decision has been taken internally by Chelsea that Fernandez went too far in openly courting Real and he will now miss Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale and next weekend’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City, both at home.
Rosenior was also unhappy with Marc Cucurella for comments made in an interview with The Athletic, in which he said the dismissal of former boss Enzo Maresca in January had destabilised the team and appeared to question the club’s transfer policy.
The mentality of Chelsea’s young squad has come under close scrutiny this season. The team have received nine red cards in all competitions as well as multiple yellows for dissent, while the 19 points they have dropped from winning positions is the second worst record in the league.
Rosenior has previously said he is hopeful about activity in this summer’s transfer market, but ahead of Saturday’s last-eight meeting with the Sky Bet League One side – which holds open the club’s last chance of silverware this season – he clarified his requirements.
“I think in recruitment, for me, the first thing I look at is character, is emotional stability, is calm,” he said. “That’s something we’ve spoken about. That’s not a reflection on this group now. It’s how we improve the group moving forward.”
Rosenior confirmed Fernandez will retain the vice-captaincy despite going public with his apparent desire to leave.
“I won’t be stripping him of anything because he doesn’t deserve that,” he said.
“We had a really calm conversation. I explained the decision and why. I know it doesn’t look like it right now, but Enzo and I have an unbelievable relationship.
“He understood the club’s decision and my decision in that. I know he will respond really well and help us in the upcoming weeks.”
Rosenior described the 10 days prior to the international break as the worst of his career. During that time, the team were dumped out of the Champions League 8-2 on aggregate by Paris St Germain and lost back-to-back league matches against Newcastle and Everton.
It leaves the team sixth in the table, a point behind fifth-place Liverpool and in a fight to return to the Champions League next season.
Asked whether he needed to restore faith in his tenure, Rosenior said: “I need to win. We haven’t won in the last four games. Faith in any project comes from results.
“As soon as you don’t win games of football at any club, regardless of the project, people lose faith. So we have to restore that.”
