Chelsea have been linked with a number of world-class centre-backs in recent weeks after John Terry bid adieu to his beloved club. Names like Leonardo Bonucci, Kalidou Koulibaly and Virgil van Dijk have been touted has possible replacements for Terry with the Blues to bolster an already stellar backline.
But Chelsea’s embarrassingly huge stockpile of on loan talent has a player who can effectively take up the role from John Terry and save Chelsea, millions and millions of pounds.
Andreas Christensen has been long talked about as a player who can nail down a starting berth at Chelsea after proving himself during his two-year loan spell with the German club, Borussia Monchengladbach. With his loan deal expiring soon, the 20-year old is expected to be back at Stamford Bridge for the pre-season as manager Antonio Conte can have a first-hand look at the talent that he possesses.
The player has also made it clear that he does not want to go on yet another loan spell and wants to fight for his place with the Blues which makes it a big couple of months for all the parties involved.
Christensen’s Adaptability
During his spell in Germany, Christensen played in a back four as well as in a back three which means that he is well accustomed with the system. The Dane is comfortable in possession and has often dribbled his way out of trouble for Monchengladbach from the back. Along with that, his positional awareness has been always talked about along with his aerial prowess which makes him a must have player for the Blues.
He has 8 international caps for Denmark and has also played in the Champions League and the Europa League.
Christensen can follow the example of Nathan Ake whose Bournemouth loan spell was cut short this season as he played a couple of games for the Blues. With the Dane back in the mix, Ake can be used as a cover for either of Marcos Alonso or Victor Moses as the youngster has shown his capabilities on the wings as well.
Similarly, Christensen can be used as a cover for the top three centre-backs at the club and be utilised as the first change for the trio of Luiz, Cahill and Azpilicueta.
The 20-year old has to wait for his chances but will find games for sure as Chelsea are back in Europe and will see their number of games increase. Rather than taking a risk of signing a new player from a foreign league or a player who has never played for one of the biggest of the clubs in the world, giving an opportunity to one of their own lads seems a logical move for the Blues which they must undertake.
Christensen has proved in his loan spell that he has all the tools in his artillery to become an instant hit with the club and Antonio Conte must avoid letting go of such a talented defender.
