Chelsea transfer ban plan, Part 4: Second chances for the forgotten Blues

Midfield

On the roster: N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Mason Mount

Impossible to miss out on, N’Golo Kante is a name that will be on the squad list every time. The two time Premier League winner and World Cup winner excels on the pitch every single game. If he plays in his natural defensive midfielder position he bosses the midfield and pockets the opposition.

This season he has been playing out of position and yet has achieved his best stats ever with four goals and four assists in all competitions, out of which three goals are in the league. Even in a new position, Kante has excelled and hopefully if Sarri plays him in his natural position next season, it might benefit all three parties. Kante’s relentless running and precision tackles could be the club’s driving force.

Maurizio Sarri’s most trusted man, Jorginho was welcomed at the club with joy and great expectations. At first, the passing stats wooed the fans and showed promise (remember when Jorginho out passed the entire Newcastle United side with 156 passes to the Magpies 128). But still, with 2,553 passes and no assists the fan base is growing frustrated.

There could be work done before the next season starts. Glimpses of his passing ability and telescopic range have been on display in the league, but he has only lacked the finishing touch from other players. As Sarri says “Jorginho needs movement without the ball from the other players”. If things fall into place and Sarriball starts rolling, Jorginho would be a lethal weapon in the Blues midfield.

At 23, Ruben Loftus-Cheek already has 10 Caps for the England national team and has displayed his talents at the 2018 World Cup. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is another academy product that has risen to the top and is shining. He made his Club debut in 2015 and after two seasons at the club was loaned out to Crystal Palace in 2017. Performances with Palace got him the call up to English squad and he made it to the 2018 World cup squad as well.

He started this season strong with a Europa league hat trick against BATE in the group stage (becoming the only Chelsea player after Didier Drogba to score a European hat trick). A nagging back injury has been limiting his starts this campaign but has made the impact coming on as a substitute very often.

With five goals and five assists in 40 appearances this season, Ross Barkley is in his best form in a long time. Injuries have limited Barkley recently. Stuck in the back and forth substitution cycle with Mateo Kovacic under Sarri, Barkley has shown that he can make plays and also dribble his way around the pitch. For an attacking midfielder, Ross Barkley puts a lot of effort in defense as well and track backs opponents and helps out with defense. He is never shy of a physical battle in the game and goes into it with his all.

Fair to say that Barkley has not yet achieved his full potential and next season with better understanding of his teammates and the tactics, the Blues could see a better and stronger player.

Danny Drinkwater was signed as a deadline day transfer for squad depth. Drinkwater has made no appearance for Chelsea this season but when he pushed for a move away from the club, Sarri stalled the move and wanted to keep him as an option. Perhaps Sarri knows the Englishman’s Premier League experience is vital and can be used when needed. His league winning campaign with Leicester and decent performances under Antonio Conte make him a good choice for the 25 man squad list. Remember Drinkwater’s first and only Chelsea goal against Stoke city? Absolute screamer. He has got quality.

Under Chelsea legend Frank Lampard at Derby County, Mason Mount has worked hard and shown his talent. He has great footwork, is able to use both his feet and has the vision for playmaking. For someone with Mount’s body stature, he shields the ball pretty well. His performance against Manchester United in the EFL cup drew a lot of attention, which ended up in him getting a call up to England’s national team for the Nation’s League. Mount scored in the penalty shootout win against United at Old Trafford. Prior to that during his loan at Vitesse, he won the club’s player of the season award.