Michael Emanelo, upon his resignation, said that he was proud of Chelsea’s loan system and went on to add that Andreas Christensen was proof that the system worked wonders. While Christensen’s development testifies Emanelo’s comment, his statement is far from complete. Chelsea have produced excellent youth products over the last few years. These kids have won every major trophy at the youth level. They have then been loaned out for further development. However, After that, things go horribly wrong. Christensen is probably only the second player after John Terry to rise through the club ranks and the only one in Emanelo’s ten-year tenure at the club.
Chelsea have lost fine young products in the process, many they have gone on to rue. It now seems that the Blues could be on their way to losing another young top talent in the form of Andreas Christensen. The young Dan is a tipped to be a future great for Chelsea and is now being reportedly being kept under tabs by Inter Milan.
Here is a look at the possible replacements for him.
David Luiz (Chelsea):
Under Antonio Conte, it seemed that Luiz had finally curbed. Conte refused to let Luiz roam free and sacrificed the good and the bad of the monster inside and disciplined the Brazilian to play like every other player, using everyday techniques and doing the basics right. While Luiz did not produce any moment of genius, he also played his error-free season last year at the age of 29.
This year, it seemed that Conte’s message was fading and Luiz had started reliving his glory-hunting days from time to time. His lack of discipline against Roma cost Chelsea a humiliating defeat and Conte was in no mood to spare the Brazilian. Out he went off, not only the starting line-up, but also the squad for the all-important clash against United. If Christensen were to leave, Luiz would have to be reinstated to the starting eleven and would not be a “bad choice” given the quality he possesses.
Kostas Manolas (AS Roma)
Manolas has been a key part of the defence and will be sorely missed should he be lured away by offers from England. Antonio Conte has been a long-time admirer of the player and will want to bring in a second defender from AS Roma after signing Antonio Rudiger in the summer.
Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)
Since making his move from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015, he has gone on to become one of the top performers in the club. His ability to read the opposition’s game allows him to defend neatly without making unnecessary tackles. The stats clearly show his quality with Alderweireld averaging just 0.3 fouls per 90 minutes, a sublime figure when put in comparison with the likes of Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and AC Milan’s Leonardo Bonucci who averages at 0.88 and 0.93 fouls every 90 minutes.
The highly-intelligent Belgian committed only 9 fouls in 30 Premier League games last season, an astounding fact given that Chelsea ace David Luiz who enjoyed his best season at West London committed 29 fouls in the same time.
