Sometimes big clubs regret letting their talented youngsters go, as prospects don’t seem to have a shot to get some minutes in the first team but are way too good to be wasting their time playing at the academies, so they have to look for playing time on other squads as loanees.
It’s getting more and more normal to see those eternal loanees give up on their careers at their clubs, and they wind up making a permanent move elsewhere in order to develop their playing skills and reach their primes.
Eventually, some players actually become pretty good and wind up even hurting their “original” teams, ironically showing them that they had what it takes to make it in the big leagues, and making managers and owners look like fools.
That’s what happened to Chelsea a little bit too often in the recent past, as the Blues have let names of the likes of Marko Marin, Lucas Piazon, Andre Schurrle, Thorgan Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne slip through their fingers and have a great run somewhere else far away from Stamford Bridge, becoming referents for their new sides.
That lousy loan policy that they’ve had during the past few seasons has led them loan over 40 players on their first squad, and most of them actually make it overseas and never get some playing time for the blues. And that’s what’s happening once again with the Danish defender Andreas Christensen, who’s loaned at Borussia Monchengladbach just like Thorgan Hazard was.
And just like happened with Eden’s younger brother, Monchengladbach’s front office has made it very clear that they intend to keep Christensen with them for the long run, something that Chelsea simply should not allow.
The 20-year-old from Denmark has been an outstanding addition for the German side and since his arrival he’s established himself as a regular starter for Borussia Monchengladbach, earning the trust of his boss and his teammates that have nothing but high praise for the prolific defender.
Christensen is an outstanding passer with a great feel for the game, and he rarely makes any kind of mistakes on the defensive end of the pitch. However, he needs to improve his tackling if he’s set to make it on a more physical league like the Premier League.
The youngster could be a great fit for Antonio Conte’s system, as he could easily play at Cesar Azpilicueta’s spot, and considering that he’s a younger and cheaper player, they should actually consider bringing him back before he makes a permanent move overseas.
Even if they wind up letting Andreas go, they should definitely include a buy back clause on his contract, as they’re currently regretting not doing so with Thorgan Hazard, who apparently doesn’t want to go back to Stamford Bridge after Jose Mourinho shut the door on him.
Chelsea should reconsider that loan policy they currently have, as they are missing out on several talented youngsters, and letting Andreas Christensen walk would be another great failure from the Chelsea management.