'Not the main player' – Enzo Maresca sends strong message to £30m star after Brighton transfer snub
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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has no doubt £30million signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be a success at Stamford Bridge once he mentally adapts to his new surroundings.
Midfielder Dewsbury-Hall, who followed Maresca from Leicester to west London during the summer, is in line to start Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup third-round tie with League Two leaders Barrow.
The 26-year-old is yet to begin a Premier League match for the Blues and been restricted to just 43 minutes of top-flight action across three substitute appearances.
Dewsbury-Hall almost joined Brighton this summer as the Seagulls tried to close a £25m deal for the player who scored 12 goals with 15 assists in the Championship last term. Brighton made their first move back last January with a £25m bid and then returned for the midfielder last summer.
Albion, who play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League this Saturday, were unsuccessful in their attempts as the former Fox sealed his switch to Chelsea on a six-year contract.
Dewsbury-Hall, who missed the 1-0 win at Bournemouth on September 14 through illness, previously started both legs of Chelsea’s Conference League play-off win over Swiss club Servette.
“I’m very happy with Kiernan,” said Maresca. “We also need to understand that Kiernan was the main player at Leicester. He arrived here and now he’s not the main player. He’s one of the players.
“For him, for any player in the world, you need to adapt. Mentally you need to adapt because you go from, ‘OK, I’m the main player here’ to ‘I’m one of the players’.
“That period requires a little bit of time, that you understand that and you adapt.
“I am completely happy with Kiernan, the way he’s doing. It’s just a matter to adapt a little bit but overall I don’t have any doubt for Kiernan.”