Antonio Conte’s second season in England has not been as fruitful as his first but he is certainly growing as a manager, making some productive calls for the club since the start of this campaign. He does have to improve on a couple of areas on the field to compete for the title again but it is also important for the club to retain players, who are integral to their system.
One such player, who has pledged his stay at Stamford Bridge is young Andreas Christensen. The 21-year old has been one of the most consistent defenders for Chelsea this season and displaced Brazilian star David Luiz from the first team. Luiz’s issues with the manager did help but the fact that Chelsea were keen to extend his contract at the club shows how much he has grown as a player recently.
Having joined the Chelsea academy back in 2012, he spent a couple of years on loan at Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, honing his skills as a centre-back. He only returned to Stamford Bridge before the start of this season and Antonio Conte was convinced that he is an option for the first team immediately.
At just 21, he has gathered some invaluable experience with 82 top flight appearances in Germany and 14 international caps for Demark. He has only made 13 starts so far in the Premier League, each of them coming this season and has all but cemented a place at the heart of the Chelsea backline.
Known for his cool and composed approach to the game, Christensen is confident in his abilities and never shies away from responsibility. He is ready to throw himself around inside his own box and hardly ever found completely beaten. He is strong in the air and in hold up play and is a player most teams in England would love to have on their side.
So it does not come as a surprise that Chelsea decided to offer him a new, four-and-a-half year deal, that will run down in 2022. He will also get a well-deserved pay rise and is now ready to give it his all to the club for years to come.
In an era that has seen a defender brought at £75m, Chelsea will have to thank their scouting system to have unearthed a real gem of a player in Christensen. He incidentally has a better passing rate than any other player in the UCL this season, which shows the form he is in.
At his age, he is only going to better. So what do you think Christensen in worth now?
