After Enzo Fernandez hinted at a possible move away from Chelsea after the World Cup, Marc Cucurella has now been quoted as saying he'd have to think about his future if Barcelona came calling.
Maresca's sacking the start of more chaos?
The Spaniard also touched on the sacking of Enzo Maresca earlier this year, suggesting that none of the first-team squad could understand such a decision.
Fast forward a few months, and it would appear that Liam Rosenior doesn't have the right mix of tactical nous and gravitas to be considered the right long-term replacement for the Blues, and it's hard to see the Englishman still in the role next season, whatever the powers that be might say to the press.
What that could mean in practice is yet more upheaval for a club that has specialised in chaos on and off the pitch over the past few seasons.
The Argentine World Cup winner has recently been linked with a move to Real Madrid -- if they're unable to land their preferred target, Rodri.
Enzo is four years Rodri's junior
Though the Manchester City ace has acknowledged that he'd find it difficult to turn down Los Blancos if they came calling, the fact that the Premier League outfit would still demand over €100m (£87m) for the 29-year-old could be the one aspect that puts paid to any deal from happening.
On the other side of the coin, Rodri's contract runs out in the summer of 2027, so this close season is the last realistic point at which City would be able to acquire something worthwhile for his services, should he continue to intimate that a move back to the Spanish capital is preferred.
Fernandez is four years Rodri's junior, however, and is arguably more mobile and dynamic than the Spaniard. His most recent comments have also put the cat amongst the pigeons, too.
"I’d like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid; it reminds me of Buenos Aires," he said in a recent interview.
"Players live where they want. I’d live in Madrid. I get by in English, but I’d be more comfortable in Spanish."
Always available
It's as close to a 'come and get me' plea as it's possible to be, without spelling it out, and so what exactly would Real be getting for their money if they turned their attentions to the current vice captain at Stamford Bridge?
Aside from his obvious leadership qualities and combativeness alongside Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea midfield, Fernandez has been brilliant as a supplementary attacking presence.
Since joining the club, he's scored 28 goals and provided 29 assists in all competitions, with only Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer scoring more since the Argentine joined the club. The latter is also the only player with slightly more assists than Fernandez.
No one comes close to the midfielder's cumulative 12,560 minutes played, though, indicating that, for the most part, he's remained injury-free and available for selection.
With such a congested domestic, European and international calendar these days, that in itself is a great attribute for potential employers.
Superb all-round game
It shouldn't really come as any surprise that Fernandez has contested the most one-on-one duels in the squad (1,402), and is behind only Caicedo's total amount of ball recoveries (692 and 766).
Aerially, he's no slouch either, as, aside from Chelsea's defenders, he's the only other player to break the 200 mark for aerial duels contested.
One part of his game that really stands out is his passing. Like Rodri, he rarely wastes a pass, and his total of 8,953 since joining the Blues hasn't been surpassed. 7,733 of those have found their target, for a superb completion rate of 86.4%.
254 chances created is better than Cole Palmer's 225, and given that the England international is often thought of as Chelsea's creative hub, that's an outstanding return from the Argentine.
With a more than acceptable shot accuracy of 52.8% and a conversion rate of 11%, Fernandez's all-round game is in fine fettle.
His 34 yellow cards might raise an eyebrow in Madrid, but to dilute the competitive edge that Fernandez has would be to totally change the way he plays the game.
What Chelsea do next as an organisation in terms of player transfers and managerial appointments (or not) could therefore ultimately affect the player's decision on whether to move, regardless of the fact that he has a contract that should supposedly keep him in London until 2032.
If the Blues don't want to lose arguably their most influential player, then some big decisions have to be made over the next few months.
