Chelsea star 'banished from first-team' set for transfer deadline day exit to Prem rival

Less than a month after Trevoh Chalobah was among three players banished from the Chelsea first team alongside Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, he has agreed a move away from the club.

The Athletic claim that the versatile defender is heading to Crystal Palace on loan for the remainder of the season, without an option or obligation to buy.

Chalobah was banned from using Chelsea's first-team facilities and did not travel with the majority of Enzo Maresca's players for their pre-season tour of the United States. He has also been left out of all four of their opening Premier League and UEFA Conference League matchday squads.

Chalobah will undergo a medical before the finishing touches are put on his switch to Selhurst Park, where he could play a part in replacing Joachim Anderson after the Dane left for Fulham earlier in the window for £30million.

He will become Oliver Glasner's sixth summer signing after Ismaila Sarr, Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada, Jemiah Umolu and latest new addition Maxence Lacroix.

On Thursday, Maresca reiterated that Chalobah and the remainder of the 'bomb squad' will not be getting any minutes under his reign at Stamford Bridge, informing them that they should seek late moves before the window closes at 11pm.

"The only thing I can say is the ones who are going to get minutes are the ones who I think can help us," Maresca said. "It’s not just Raheem. It’s all the players who are training apart. The moment the transfer window closes, they are not going to get minutes."

The 25-year-old made 17 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last season and particularly impressed in the tail-end of the campaign, but Maresca has deemed him surplus to requirements since arriving from Leicester.

The likes of Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo are all considered higher up in the pecking order than Chalobah.

An outright sale would have benefitted Chelsea, with funds raised from homegrown players viewed as pure profit on their financial books, but they will get the opportunity to reassess the situation at the end of the season when Chalobah returns.

And for a player who has struggled to nail down a regular spot at Chelsea under several head coaches, Chalobah has the chance to play a full season as a first-choice option in the Premier League, with a point to prove after being dismissed by Maresca.