Enough is enough: Chelsea’s £90,000-a-week star is better off leaving Stamford Bridge in January

Why Chelsea should let go of Danny Drinkwater this winter would be a good move

According to reports in the Sun, Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater is being tracked by his former club Leicester City, with Southampton are also interested in the England international. The Foxes though, are showing good interest in bringing the 28-year-old midfielder back to the King Power Stadium in a loan move.

Drinkwater, who was a part of the fairy-tale Leicester squad, which lifted the Premier League title in 2016, joined Chelsea last summer for a fee worth near £35m. He has only played five games for the Blues, and with them signing Jorginho this summer, it has been difficult for the 28-year-old to break into the starting line-up.

So from Maurizio Sarri’s point of view, it won’t be the worst idea to let go of a player who needs regular playing time. Here’s why Drinkwater should be let go of by Chelsea:

Chelsea have options in midfield & differing playing style

Looking at the Chelsea squad at the current point in time, they have enough first-choice and back-up midfielders to go through a season, if there are no injury issues to deal with. Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are expected to be the regulars, while Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas are there to back them up.

So for Drinkwater to get into this team, it might become a bridge too far to accomplish. Moreover, the playing system under Sarri is quite different to what the English midfielder is used to in the past. He won the league at Leicester under Claudio Ranieri playing counter-attacking football, and Antonio Conte played a similar style of football.

Hence, it is naturally hard for a player to suddenly become a technical player and press high off the ball. Therefore, in all respects, the 28-year-old has a bleak chance of playing for Chelsea on a regular basis. He might as well go back to Leicester and look for different options from there on.

Verdict

If Chelsea do allow Drinkwater to go this winter, it will be a good move for both the player and the club. As for the Blues, they will get away from paying £90,000-per-week for a midfielder who is on the fringes.

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For Drinkwater, it would be an opportunity to leave a club where his playing chances are very less, and retain his prominence as a quality midfielder elsewhere.