If a report from Goal is believed to be true, Chelsea outcast Charly Musonda is drawing interest from AS Roma. The once highly-rated youngster does not have a future at Stamford Bridge, but his availability on a free transfer has grabbed the attention of Jose Mourinho over a potential summer swoop.
The 25-year-old Belgian joined the Blues from Anderlecht back in 2012. He spent his time with the reserves during Mourinho’s second stint as the Stamford Bridge chief and the Portuguese closely monitored his progress all those years, given his potential to make it big in senior football. Musonda featured 7 times across competitions under Antonio Conte after a promising loan spell with Real Betis, however, things went south for the youngster after leaving for Celtic for first-team minutes.
Chelsea decided to terminate his loan contract for limited playing time under then Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers and eventually shipped him to sister side Vitesse in summer 2018. A severe posterior cruciate ligament injury jeopardized his career, but the former Belgian youth international stayed patient to regain fitness over the next couple of years.
Musonda, who has featured in PL2 twice this season, is seeking a fresh start once his current deal expires. The minutes with the U23s has helped him recoup his confidence after two years of nightmare and a move to Roma would hand him the opportunity to rise and shine in Serie A.
The Forgotten Chelsea Attacker Should Grab This Opportunity
The Giallorossi are not alone in the hunt though with Hellas Verona keeping close tabs on the attacker’s availability. He still has a bright future ahead of him and his flexibility high up the pitch has done him great favour despite limited gametime in his mid-twenties. Musonda is not only effective as a ‘number 10’ but also on the flanks and Roma, therefore, are keen to add him to their ranks after tasting success with Chris Smalling, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Tammy Abraham from English football.
Although Mkhitaryan has revived his game after an underwhelming Premier League spell, the 33-year-old Armenian is nearing the twilight of his career. Musonda might slot in as a long-term successor of the midfield attacker, also the persistent injury problem of Nicolo Zaniolo highlights the necessity of squad depth to cope with fixture congestion.
Despite the ongoing ownership conundrum, Chelsea have ample attacking options in their armoury. The Belgian is surplus to requirements in West London but his egress on a Bosman would be a financial blow to some extent given their shrewd business model over the years.
