According to a recent report by Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona have tabled an official offer for Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen. The report states that the Catalans believe that the Danish prospect could provide adequate cover for Samuel Umtiti who has struggled with a knee problem this season.
The 22-year-old has failed to establish himself as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge this season despite being a regular feature in Antonio Conte’s first-team last term. The Lillerod born defender only made his first Premier League appearance earlier this month when he played the full 90 minutes in his team’s 2-1 away loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Christensen has featured mostly in the cup competitions under Maurizio Sarri and needs to switch clubs in January if he wants regular game time on the pitch.
The Chelsea youngster has featured in just nine matches across all competitions after falling down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge to the likes of David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill. According to talkSPORT, Christensen revealed back in October that he was not happy at being left out on the sidelines and said, “If you asked every player that’s not playing if they’re happy, they’re going to say no,”
“Everyone wants to play.
“I can’t do anything else but go back there, train and do my best. Every time I get that opportunity, I have to do well and show him (Sarri) that he can count on me.
“You don’t want to sit around and wait for it. You want to play straight away and that’s why we all play football.
“Not playing is not fun. It’s a different situation to last season.”
It is clear from the Danish centre-back’s situation that Sarri doesn’t fancy him over his other defensive options at West London. Hence, it might be a good move for all parties to let him leave in January. The Pensioners could use the money generated from his sale to strengthen other areas of their squad.
Christensen can be a solid presence at the back when he is playing with confidence, but Sarri’s lack of faith in him has reflected in his recent performances for the Pensioners this season. A potential move to a big club like Barcelona will be a welcome change for a player of his incredible potential.
The Chelsea boss needs players he can trust as evidenced by the signing of Jorginho last summer. Hence, letting the Danish talent leave when the transfer window reopens next month might be good for his squad in the long-run.
