Trevoh Chalobah's Chelsea future is already looking bleak but it could look even more so if Todd Boehly follows through with previous Roman Abramovich interest in a certain Premier League defender.
The 23-year-old was contemplating sealing a late loan move in the summer transfer window that has just passed by but he was persuaded to stay at the time. He has only so far played 90 minutes once this season and that came as a result of a Kalidou Koulibaly suspension.
His involvement in the 2-1 home Leicester City win meant that he still boasts an impressive record of never being on the losing side when given the opportunity to shine. In fact, he's made 21 appearances since being brought in from the cold by now former manager Thomas Tuchel.
However, that record itself will not keep him happy forever and unless the situation improves under Graham Potter this season after the competition getting even tougher after the Wesley Fofana signing, then a potential January or summer 2023 loan/permanent exit could be on the cards, especially if Chalobah has international aspirations to challenge for an England spot.
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The current signs include his non-use in the back four that played in the closed behind doors friendly against Brighton recently- a game in which Chelsea won 2-1 courtesy of Carney Chukwuemeka's goals. Instead, he was deployed in a three-man midfield alongside Denis Zakaria and Conor Gallagher.
But as he admitted already in a previous interview, the Blues' number 14 will be willing to bide his time and keep himself in good shape upon getting the nod from Potter eventually.
He said via The Athletic: “If I’m not playing a lot of games, I tend to do stuff to keep myself fit and ready. It’s really important to look after yourself outside of the club so I do quite a bit of exercise on my own.
“It’s not easy playing for a massive club like this, so I have to maintain my fitness, be consistent and make sure I’m ready to give it my all for training and games. It’s important for the mental side of things as well. That’s a big part of the game now so I try to get the right balance.”
With this in mind, his patience will be tested further with Nathanial's brother unlikely to start against Crystal Palace. A complete no-show in the squad may also be on the cards due to the vast options the manager has to choose from.
Unfortunately, things are not looking on the up right now for Chalobah and all he can do is train hard and hope he is given a chance to impress, even if in the more unorthodox position of midfield amid N'Golo Kante injury concerns.
Looking ahead to next summer, alongside signing multiple midfielder and a new forward to bolster the squad amid strong Christopher Nkunku links, certain transfer talks could spell the end for the former Ipswich Town and FC Lorient loanee in regards to ambitions to make it as a defender in West London.
Turkish Journalist Yago Sabuncuoglu's update translated to: 'SPECIAL | Chelsea, Inter and Villarreal have started negotiations to add Çağlar Söyüncü to their squad.'
Whether this is his agent using Chelsea's name to generate further interest and put pressure on Leicester City to either sell or use him more remains to be seen but Soyuncu himself is heading closer to the exit doors in the East Midlands with Jonny Evans and new signing Wout Faes the preferred option for Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers' sacking could prove another opportunity for the 26-year-old to fight for his place but an exit was touted back even in January and last summer with Chelsea being strongly linked in the latter days of Abramovich's reign.
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