Max Eberl nearing rock bottom in pursuit of Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen

Borussia Monchengladbach’s sporting director Max Eberl is challenging Aurelio de Laurentiis for the title of Europe’s most irritating football executive. His public pining for Andreas Christensen is simply getting tiresome.

If Max Eberl was a bit more clandestine with his long-term designs for Chelsea loanee Andreas Christensen he would be accused of tapping up. Instead, his clumsy efforts in the media just drum up needless annoyance around a top Blue prospect.

Eberl seems to have come to terms with the reality that Chelsea may be dumb, but they’re not “sell Andreas Christensen” dumb. He somewhat gave up on a permanent transfer for the Danish centre-back. Eberl is now seeking some sort of a long-term permanent rent-to-own program.

"I can’t imagine that Chelsea would sell him to us, but maybe we can loan him for another one or two years? If he was with us for three to four whole years, that would be a great story. – Evening Standard"

Yeah. Cool story, bro.

Eberl is playing the other side of Aurelio de Laurentiis’ game with Kalidou Koulibaly. The Napoli president waved Koulibaly in front of Stamford Bridge, taunting “maybe I’ll sell him, maybe I won’t.” Eberl, on the other hand, is pining away “maybe they’ll sell Andreas Christensen, no really, maybe they will.”

Must Read: Chelsea's resolve tested by another bid for Andreas Christensen

Eberl thinks he sees a potential path for Christensen to transfer to Borussia Monchengladbach. Eberl’s hottest of takes is that if Chelsea were to sell Andreas Christensen, they would do so to a club that would not rival them in future Champions League tournaments. He acknowledged the dissonance that those are the only teams that could afford the defender.

"He’ll be a world-class player. Chelsea are not going to sell such a player to Barcelona or Bayern. So, another way is still possible. – Daily Mail"

Interesting tactic. Degrade your own club’s prospects for the future in the hopes that it persuades a club and a player to make a deal with you.

Eberl is trying to make Andreas Christensen feel like Borussia Monchengladbach is the home that Chelsea is not. M’Gladbach’s fans no doubt share in that vision. They voted Christensen their player of the year last season, and would love to see him carry that title for a few more years.

If Chelsea drift out of contention for the Champions League in the spring, expect a crescendo of Eberl’s mash notes. Another season of the Champions League is the only value proposition Eberl and M’Gladbach have to offer Christensen.

Andreas Christensen is all but guaranteed to start for Chelsea next season. He will have little to gain from a third year on loan in the Bundesliga, or anywhere outside of England for that matter.

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Aurelio de Laurentiis enjoyed strong-arming and toying with Chelsea over Kalidou Koulibaly. Max Eberl probably figures there are few clubs that he could hoodwink through a prolonged media campaign. If there is such a mark, it would be the one that employs Michael Emenalo as his opposing number.