According to a recent report by The Sun, Premier League outfit Burnley are said to have their mind set on sending English midfielder Danny Drinkwater back to Chelsea in January, as they haven’t been satisfied with the work that he’s put in during his short stint at Turf Moor. It has been suggested that the Clarets are reluctant to keep Drinkwater beyond January in the fear that Chelsea will demand they pay his full £120,000 salary.
What Caused Chelsea To Sign Danny Drinkwater From Leicester?
The former Manchester United academy product was acquired by Leicester City in the winter of 2012 after a series of loan spells away from Old Trafford. He was finally forced to leave United to find proper first-team opportunities. Despite his lack of consistency at United, after moving to Leicester, he seemed to transform into a different player.
His display under Claudio Ranieri’s reign at the King Power Stadium is unquestionably what prompted the Blues to make a move for the Englishman. He played a crucial part in Leicester’s unexpected run to the league title, and alongside N’Golo Kante, formed the deadliest midfield duo of the season. Although Kante has gone on to hit massive heights, the Englishman’s development has certainly stagnated.
Where Did It All Go Wrong At Chelsea For Danny Drinkwater?
The midfielder made a big-money move from the West Midlands to West London when he joined the Blues in the summer of 2013, on the back of a stunning title win with the Foxes. His partnership with N’Golo Kante played a massive part in the Foxes’ run to the title, which is probably what Chelsea were looking to bring in when they acquired both the midfielders.
He was used extremely sparingly by Antonio Conte, who preferred to have a more structured midfield core. During the 17/18 Premier League campaign, the Englishman featured in just 12 league games and managed just a single goal. After that, things only got worse for him as Maurizio Sarri introduced a much more dynamic style of football – something the 29-year-old just couldn’t get accustomed to. He played a part in their FA Community Shield defeat at the start of last season but didn’t feature since then.
Should The Blues Look To Offload Him As Soon As Possible?
Since making the loan switch to Burnley, things haven’t necessarily gone too well for the midfielder. He’s played in just one match for Sean Dyche’s side, while he was also involved in a rather embarrassing brawl outside of a Manchester nightclub. After being assaulted which left him heavily injured, he has been receiving treatment from the Burnley staff but is yet to lineup for them since.
The Blues are currently going through an excellent run of form, thanks to the brilliant work being done by Frank Lampard’s young stars. N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho are already giving Lampard a lot of selection worries, that too with the likes of Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek still out injured. Even if Drinkwater does return to the Blues in the winter, the probability of him getting a game is close to nought. Chelsea will do well to offload their man in January if they hope to make back at least a percentage of what they paid for him back in 2017.
