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Chelsea would be foolish to let go of this 23-year-old star despite interest from Italy

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Why Chelsea must keep hold of Andreas Christensen amidst interests

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen has attracted interest from Italian side AC Milan.

Christensen, 23, moved to Chelsea’s youth academy at the age of 17 from Brondby IF in his home country. He made his debut with the senior team in 2014 against Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round of the League Cup. He was then loaned to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2015 for two years.

He became an instant hit in Germany and further developed his skills before returning to Stamford Bridge. The youngster has made 84 appearances for the Blues so far and was a regular member of the squad while also also instrumental in their Europa League win last season.

Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)
Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)

A successful player at a very young age, Christensen has found his opportunities hard to come in this campaign, especially with the return of Kurt Zouma and the emergence of Fikayo Tomori. He has featured in just 8 league games so far and has fallen down the pecking order under Frank Lampard.

And interestingly, AC Milan are considering a move for the Dane, who is having a tough time at Chelsea, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the Blues have struggled to make their performances count in the latter stages as the season progresses. They recently lost to Everton, West Ham, Southampton and Bournemouth, all of whom are struggling in the league this term.

One of the main reasons for their lacklustre performances has been their defensive unit, which has conceded goals for fun.

Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)
Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has just four central defenders available at his disposal in Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and Andreas Christensen.

While Zouma has been prone to errors so far, Rudiger had been out of the team for a long due to a groin injury, having played just 6 games. Youngster Tomori has been the only bright spot in their backline and, at this moment, Chelsea must not decide to sell Christensen.

The 23-year-old has been a mainstay in the squad for quite a long time and he has the experience to sustain in the Blues’ backline for a long time. In the 2015/16 season, Christensen was an influential figure in Monchengladbach’s backline.

The Denmark international is a perfect example of a modern-day defender. He passes the ball out from the back rather than aimlessly going for a long-range pass. This is evident from his days in Germany, where he successfully passed at the rate of 87.6% which bettered Mats Hummel (86.3%), one of the best defenders in Europe in 2015/16.

Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)
Andreas Christensen (Getty Images)

His reading of the game is fantastic, where he seems to be a step ahead of his opponents and the Danish international has an incredible leap which allows him to get above the strikers.

In the video below, one can see Christensen’s defending skills and ability to play from the back.

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Verdict

Christensen has all the qualities to succeed in England and his solid presence has been vital for Lampard’s side on several occasions. Therefore, Chelsea must make sure they don’t let him away from the club by giving him equal opportunities.