Jadon Sancho sent worrying message on Chelsea future as Enzo Maresca makes feelings clear

has put an exact quantity on the output he expects from 's wide players - and is nowhere near it. That may not bode well for the 25-year-old's chances of securing a future at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues possessing a penalty clause which would allow them to get out of their to buy him outright.

Sancho is approaching a summer in limbo after being tossed out by and failing to make the grade at Chelsea. His camp are believed to have explored possibilities for the upcoming transfer window, with it looking unlikely that United will welcome him back to Old Trafford, or that Chelsea will exercise their purchase option.

The former Borussia Dortmund star, who hit 38 goals in 104 Bundesliga games during a scintillating first spell in Germany, may have held out faint hopes of changing the minds of Chelsea bosses with a strong end to the season.

But it seems as though the gap between his output and Maresca's expectations are too wide to bridge. Speaking in a press conference ahead of Everton's trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Italian said: "Our wingers, for me, they have to score around 10 goals at the end of the season."

Concerningly for Sancho, he has only managed three in the Premier League. And that total isn't even boosted by other competitions, as he has drawn blanks in the UEFA Conference League and in the domestic cups.

Output has been a problem for Sancho for the duration of his playing career in England. He hit 20 goals and racked up a boatload of assists across all competitions for Dortmund in 2019/20, but he has not managed more than seven in a single campaign since returning to the country of his birth.

There are one or two other Chelsea wingers who may be looking at their stats sheet with a tinge of concern. Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer are the only players on course to finish the Premier League season in double figures for the Blues.

Noni Madueke has netted seven times, and he could still make it to Maresca's benchmark with a strong few weeks. Meanwhile Christopher Nkunku is on three with Sancho, and the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk is still on zero.

Pedro Neto has earned mixed reviews from his first full season. And while Maresca expects more than his four-goal total, he admits the Portuguese has been a useful squad player in other ways.

"I think Pedro helps us a lot," he explained. "Especially when Nico [Jackson] was injured and he played as a No. 9. He is better on the right but sometimes we use him on the left because we also have Noni. I think overall he is doing well with us. Pedro is doing well but there is no doubt he can do better in terms of numbers."