Antonio Conte’s new adventure in England is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Taking charge of a club that has fallen to the 10th place in the points table just a year after lifting the Premier League, the manager has loads of issues that he needs to resolve within the team. He will also have to make sure that his squad does not involve players who do not deserve to be playing for him. So he will have to take a decision on the futures of a number of players going into the next season and once such player whose future is currently unsure in Danish footballer Andreas Bødtker Christensen.
The 20-year old defender moved to Chelsea from Brondby back in 2012 but has not been able to make his way into the first team under any of the managers at the club. He moved to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach at the start of the previous season on a two-year loan deal and is currently with the club for their pre-season. But it is now understood that the German outfit are impressed with the returns from the youngster and want to take him on a permanent basis. It was revealed that they are ready to make a £15m bid (a club record) to land the 20-year old this summer. So should Conte let the youngster leave the club this summer or should he try and give him a chance in a Blue shirt in the coming seasons?
At just 20 years of age, Christensen established himself as a first-choice center back in Germany for Monchengladbach and managed to make 34 appearances in all competitions. He also scored 3 goals picked up an assist and was a major part of the club’s troubles to finish 4th in the Bundesliga last season. He now has a huge role in Andre Schubert’s plans for the club next season. He will have regular game time in Germany that will allow him to improve as a player with every game and playing in Europe next season will also teach him a lot.
However, the manager at Chelsea is also in desperate need of a centre-back and is looking to sign Kalidou Koulibaly or John Stones this summer. Both the targets are set to cost the club near the £50m mark and will also put loads of pressure on the player who makes the switch. But Conte has a gem under his own hand in Christensen. Known for his passing and ability on the ball, the 20-year old is not the strongest defender in the world but is surely a decent centre-back that knows how to keep his goal away from danger. He is decent in the air and his ability to read the game allows him to make important tackles at crucial times in a game. The only real problem for Conte is his lack of experience at the biggest stage (having only played one full season of top-flight football) and he will want Christensen to complete his loan deal in Germany before bringing him to the first squad at Chelsea.
So the manager will have to try hard and convince the player to play on loan in Germany and to return back to London at the end of the next year. However, if he decides to let him go, he may be letting a gem of a player leave from under his nose. Do you think that the Danish international should be sold this summer?
