It's five years to the day since Chelsea acquired the services of 16-year-old Ethan Ampadu from Exeter City. At 21, the same old summer question has arrived - what will happen to Ampadu this summer?
The Wales international has made 12 first-team appearances for the Blues and spent time on loan across Europe at RB Leipzig, Sheffield United and Venezia during his time at Chelsea. Those deals saw an injury-plagued season followed by two relegations, though his time in Serie A has come with some stellar reviews.
Ampadu signed a new three-year deal before heading to Italy last summer, thus still leaving Chelsea with a degree of strength when deciding his future in the coming weeks. The youngster will return for pre-season training ahead of the club's trip to the USA with the opportunity to impress Thomas Tuchel in what will be a crucial period for the German coach to form his backline.
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While the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer have certainly accelerated the need for Chelsea's defence to go through some rejuvenation, it did not always look like Ampadu was going to head out on loan 12 months ago. Having played in the centre of a back three against Spurs, the youngster continued to work with Tuchel's squad even when it was back to full strength.
He was provided with a squad number at a time when the likes of Ross Barkley still had not been. The suggestion that he may not leave seemed only to be strengthened when he was one of three players allowed to operate in the centre of a rondo to circulate the ball, alongside Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic. Ampadu's versatility is unquestionable given his experience across the backline and in the centre of midfield for club and country.
In the end, it was Trevoh Chalobah that made the breakthrough for Chelsea, finding himself with a place in Tuchel's back three early in the season while also having the ability to play in midfield, while Saul Niguez was brought in on loan when Ampadu departed. With no central defenders signed to replace Chelsea's outgoing stars thus far, there could be a ready-made space for Ampadu. However, an indication that Tuchel hopes to stick with a back three, and it appears there will once again be time to impress.
The Blues may be in search of two new defenders, with Matthijs de Ligt, Jules Kounde and Nathan Ake the dominant names. None will prove cheap, with fees of £50 million or more touted. Money will need to be spent but with each the question must be asked whether those players are worth that much more than what Chelsea already have at their disposal.
While many may point to Ake's Premier League experience at Bournemouth and Manchester City, Ampadu has actually played one more Premier League match throughout the last two seasons. With the Blues hoping to pay in the region of £30 million for Pep Guardiola's charge, the domestic champions want nearer £50 million. They will only consider a move if they have a replacement. Not a small task for Todd Boehly to overcome.
In 2018 Antonio Conte declared that Ampadu was one of a number of youngsters who were the future of Chelsea even though the versatile star was nearly ready for the first team at that stage. Conte said: "This is unusual for a player who is only 17 years old. But that shows, at the same time, that age is not important. The most important thing is that you show that when I give you the chance to play, you repay me with a good performance. We are talking about a really good prospect for Chelsea, for the present and the future."
With the Blues on the verge of pre-season once again, the future might be now for Ampadu. With new additions, his task may only become more difficult. With a World Cup on the way for November, however, the Wales ace may deem regular football as more important than ever.
He suggested as much on international duty in June. Ampadu said: "As a footballer, you want to play in every game, and as a kid, I loved playing every game. It does help on big occasions [playing week in and week out], but week by week, you want to play football. No one likes to sit and watch it."
With just over a month until the new season, where his future lies is very much up in the air. However, with Rudiger and Christensen departed, Jorginho and N'Golo Kante's deals up in 12 months and Cesar Azpilicueta's future still in question - there may not be a better chance for Ampadu to impress in a variety of his roles.
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