So, there is still no sign of a new left-back for Chelsea. The transfer window comes to a close, and Chelsea fans do not seem too ecstatic with their business.
There have been a number of left-back options that the Blues could have signed; however, for one reason or the other, Thomas Tuchel has opted otherwise.
Fans ask, is it the board decision, or is it Tuchel’s. Either way, it may be a decision that comes to haunt us in the long run. Let’s take a look at who we could have secured at least until the end of the season, shall we?
Lucas Digne
Probably the most obvious signing for Chelsea. I cannot actually fathom any reason for Chelsea not going in for him. Of course, you have to back the manager here, but you also need to question the intent. Digne has now signed for Aston Villa for a fee of £25m despite wanting the move away to Chelsea. His relationship with former Everton boss Rafa Benitez had broken down, and his move away from the Merseyside was an absolute certainty.
Being an attacking and defensive threat, you’d think the Blues would monitor this closely. In fact, they did, but It seems like Chelsea backed out for their current loanee, Emerson Palmieri.
Emerson
He's literally one of our own. However, he is currently one of Lyon's best left-back options. Unfortunately, the attempt to bring him back to west London was in vain. I am all for the return of our Italian gem. He's an underrated player anyway, the way I see it.
It's great that we loaned him out, to begin with, for him to get some minutes under his belt, especially with the all-important World Cup coming up. The fact is there may have been an oversight on potential injuries and fatigue from all players, leading to Emerson being given a loan without a break clause. It's not the best move from Chelsea, especially considering that we had offered roughly £4m to bring him back - but what other choice did we have?
Ian Maatsen
Recall maybe? I couldn’t be more surprised by the lack of noise around the potential of recalling Maatsen. He currently plays for Coventry City on loan from Chelsea. He’s been soaring as a left wing-back for Coventry and has been praised highly for his growth. Just 18-years-old, Maatsen has shown that he is more than capable of handling the wing-back role duties. That speaks volumes as I consider Tuchel’s use of wing-backs more complex than meets the eye.
Many say a recall would stagnate his career. I say it’s a risk with more positives than negatives. He would have been developing under one of the best coaches in the world who has currently made a young centre-back in Malang Sarr look comfortable at left-back. Imagine the wonders he could work with the 18-year-old prospect!
I could complain all day about the potential signings that we could have made, but interestingly enough, waiting it out may be the best option
Theo Hernandez
It seemed like he was briefly on Chelsea’s radar with Roman Abramovich registering interest in the Frenchman. Had we reacted quickly to bring him in, the Blues could have been facing a potential £45m fee. This would be a costly risk to take if you ask me. As much as I admire Hernandez, £45m for a new left-back option when we have £50m of talent recovering from an injury is risky business.
Ben Chilwell could come back better than ever, or he could suffer from what I call the ACL curse. Not many players have recovered to their full potential following an ACL rupture, especially after needing surgery. The Blues could have taken the risk knowing that Hernandez could be a hot target come summer. To be fair, who’s to say that AC Milan would let their full-back go halfway through the season. However, I guess I could have said the same for Kieran Trippier, who has now departed from Atletico Madrid to join Newcastle.
All in all, it seems like Chelsea’s priorities were elsewhere. We tried our best to bring back Emerson, but unfortunately, Lyon said no. Marcos Alonso and Malang Sarr remain Chelsea’s left-back choice. However, is that so bad? Alonso initially made a great start to the season, and Sarr has really picked up in confidence in these last few games.
The only thing in the way our left-back success now is fatigue. Let’s hope there’s enough rest to go around. Otherwise, we may be in some big trouble.
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