Chelsea are set to move on a number of players from the senior squad this summer. However, Trevoh Chalobah should NOT be one of the players that leaves Stamford Bridge ahead of next season.
Todd Boehly is preparing for another summer of change with Mauricio Pochettino set to be appointed as the club's new head coach. The Argentine has reached an agreement with the Blues but is yet to officially sign a contract and be announced as the new manager, football.london understands.
Frank Lampard is set to assist in the handover from his time as caretaker manager to the new head coach and one of the biggest positives the Blues' legend has discovered has been Chalobah's performances at right-back. Reece James was ruled out of the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury whilst Cesar Azpilicueta has only played a bit part role in recent weeks.
Since Chalobah was moved to right-back, Chelsea have won one and drawn one and it could be a role he plays more and more moving forward. There is a wealth of competition at centre-back, with the 23-year-old being too far down the pecking order to replace the likes of Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana in the starting line-up.
That, paired with a change in formation to a four-man defence, could force Chalobah to accept his new role in the team and start pushing to excel as a right-back. Lampard clearly believes he is capable of performing in that position and given James' injury concerns and Malo Gusto's arrival in the summer meaning it could take some time for the Frenchman to settle in, Chalobah could find himself starting at full-back more often.
Speaking to the media following the Blues' 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, Lampard said: "Yes - a really good game. Trevoh was fantastic.
"When you ask him to do something, he does it. He steps in with urgency, he defends well, he's physically great. I thought he had a really good game." Lampard's comments will be music to the ears of Pochettino, if he is appointed, as the Argentine can help develop Chalobah as a right-back and create a solid defensive platform for Chelsea to build from.
Mikel Arteta has shown at Arsenal that a centre-back, in Ben White, can transition to become one of the top right-backs in the Premier League. Chalobah demonstrated in the draw against Forest, in which he provided a brilliant assist, that he could make a similar step under Pochettino.
The 51-year-old favours a 4-2-3-1 formation and could look to use this system at Stamford Bridge. Gusto was signed under Graham Potter's management and expected to come in this summer to be back-up to James in a right wing-back role.
Whilst the England international can comfortably revert into a right-back role, as opposed to a wing-back, Gusto may need more time to adjust to a different system and allow Chalobah to remain ahead of him in the pecking order. The 23-year-old showed attacking prowess against Forest, displaying good composure to set up Sterling's equaliser, as well as having the engine needed to get up and down the pitch.
If Chalobah can continue to perform at this level in a right-back role, he will surely be kept at Stamford Bridge and play a key role under Pochettino in future seasons.
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