Chelsea: Zappacosta loan changes nothing for Azpilicueta and James

Davide Zappacosta is in Rome taking care of the last few details to finalize a loan to AS Roma. This move will barely be noticed by his nominal teammates back at Chelsea.

Davide Zappacosta has been linked with a return to Italy for almost as long as he has been at Chelsea. He leaves with an FA Cup and Europa League title, two tournaments in which he played a combined 1,109 minutes. In its own way it’s a remarkable statistic: over one-third of Zappacosta’s minutes as a Blue (3,161 total) came in trophy-winning competitions.

The going line seems to be that Zappacosta’s loan clears the deck for Reece James to enter the squad and perhaps the starting XI as soon as he is physically ready. But this was always going to be the case, whether or not Zappacosta nominally occupied the deputy right-back role. The only thing slightly different from expectation is Chelsea loaning Zappacosta before James is back from injury.

There was some speculation the Blues would keep the Italian around as a precaution until James was ready. Apparently, some combination of Chelsea, AS Roma and Zappacosta wanted this move completed before the summer transfer window shut, even if it means a few weeks with no one to cover for Azpilicueta if necessary.

Frank Lampard, being the very smart man that he is, does not share the view (predominantly held by buffoons) that Azpilicueta is in terminal decline. If he did, he would not have assented to the Zappacosta loan.

If said buffoons are to be believed, anyone – even Zappacosta – would be better than Azpilicueta. The playing minutes Zappacosta would therefore receive would be enough to justify him staying for at least the first half of the season, knowing he would join Azpilicueta on the bench (or further back) once Reece James returns. Zappacosta would then leave in January.

The decision to loan Zappacosta is doubly an implicit vote of confidence in Azpilicueta, because it shows that not only is Lampard confident in Azpilicueta starting until James’ return, but is confident in Azpilicueta as the only back-up to James.

Even if you subscribe to the idea that James will be an immediate member of the best XI upon his return, those players still need back-ups to cover injuries, suspensions and tactical alternatives. James is coming back from a severe injury, which means an increased risk of re-injury and fluctuations in his fitness and readiness even after he is a regular in the lineup. N’Golo Kante should not be taken as a model for how normal human beings resume play after injury.

The immediate-replacement theory also is tenuous, at best. The same people who point to Reece James’ performance with the Championship’s 18th place team last season are the same ones who are skeptical about Tammy Abraham based on his two seasons in the Championship and difficult year in the Premier League with Swansea; about Mason Mount’s and Frank Lampard’s one year of experience with the Championship’s sixth-place team; and about Michy Batshuayi’s many years of experience at Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Crystal Palace.

It’s almost as if their hope for Reece James is less about James and more about animus towards Cesar Azpilicueta. Whoda thunk it?

Davide Zappacosta delivered two highlight moments at Chelsea FC: his goal (which made have been an inaccurate cross) against Qarabag in the 2017/18 Champions League and his goal line headed clearance against Eintracht Frankfurt in last season’s Champions League. Two highlights in European competition to go with one domestic and one European cup is a pretty good haul for a bit-part journeyman.

Chelsea may well run into Zappacosta in the course of future European competitions. Until then, life will proceed as usual and as planned for the right-backs he left behind, right where they were already going to be.