Chelsea have agreed on a £50m deal for AS Roma duo, Edin Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri. Now that the Brazilian left-back is set to enter Stamford Bridge, Chelsea no longer need the services of Abdul Baba Rahman and are looking for likely suitors.
The 23-year-old signed from Augsburg in 2015, Abdul Baba Rahman has had a frustrating time at Chelsea. The Ghanaian defender has only made 15 appearances for the club since his hefty £17.2m switch from the German side. He is now being chased by Turkish side Fenerbahce who wants to bring him in on a season-long loan in January.
An attacking left back in nature, Rahman was brought in as a back-up for Mourinho’s title-winning squad. However, a disastrous season at Chelsea saw every player fail to perform and things had to be shaken from the 2016-17 season. Baba Rahman failed to impress new boss Conte and was sent out on loan to Schalke to get some much-needed game time.
Rahman’s season at Schalke was cut short in January when the player suffered an unfortunate anterior cruciate ligament injury while serving his country at the African Cup of Nations. He returned to Chelsea at the end of the season where he continued his rehab. He returned to fitness and first-team training in September.
However, he has not yet shown any glimpses of potential and good form since his return and Chelsea who had his name omitted from their Premier League and Champions League squads have not yet found a reason to rue their mistake.
Antonio Conte opts to play Marcos Alonso in the left-wing back role and now have the option of fielding an inform Palmieri as the rotational option, if not a first-team regular. Chelsea’s season is still alive in four competitions and a fitness concern like Baba Rahman is likely to be not considered. Maybe a move is now the only escape he can look for at least for the next 14 games in the Premier League season and Chelsea can also cash in on the youngster while his value is still high in the transfer market.
Schalke should not waste the opportunity to resign their former left-back on a permanent deal especially after losing Sead Kolasinac to Arsenal on a free transfer. Losing Kolasinac has certainly hurt their chances in the league having to make do with just Bastian Oczipka. Baba Rahman can finally resurrect his career by making the return to the Bundesliga.
