Chelsea: The curious case of Jeremie Boga

Jeremie Boga’s rise to the top of Italian football has Chelsea debating whether or not to trigger his buy-back clause. If the Blues want to avoid repeating history, the latter is the path to take.

What if Gary Cahill didn’t get sent off? That is the first question that comes to mind when Chelsea fans hear the name Jeremie Boga. After thriving in the 2017/18 pre-season, Antonio Conte decided to give the youngster a chance in the season’s opening match against Burnley. You know the rest. The 18 minutes Boga spent on the pitch would turn out to be his only time out in Chelsea blue.

However, there is a growing possibility Boga could be back at Stamford Bridge next season. Chelsea have spent the last season eyeing Boga’s rise to stardom at Sassuolo. With Roma now throwing its name in the hat, the largest suitors yet could force the Blues to play their hand. When selling the winger to Sassuolo for £3.5 million in 2018, Chelsea inserted a £13 million buy-back option. The Blues should leave the option alone, allowing Sassuolo and Boga to orchestrate the 23-year-old’s next move.

Chelsea shouldn’t have sold Boga in the first place, but that’s water under the bridge at this point. It’s not the first time the Blues have botched a transfer and it surely won’t be the last. However, trying to bring Boga back to Chelsea to make up for past mistakes is only detrimental to both sides.

In all likelihood, a Boga return would replicate that of Nathan Ake a few seasons ago. He’d play a few matches after the window closes and then fail to find his way into the first team much after that. He’d be sold in the January transfer window barring an exceptional turn of events. That’s not to say Boga isn’t Chelsea quality—he most certainly is—but is he definitively better than Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic or Callum Hudson-Odoi? Not definitively.

Much like the signing of Philippe Coutinho that is reportedly in the works, Boga would be a luxury buy for the Blues. The 23-year-old would surely improve the squad, but the money could be spent elsewhere. After moving for Ziyech a few months ago, one of the last things Chelsea needs is another winger. If—and only if—Frank Lampard knows Boga would play an important role, then the Blues should consider triggering the buy-back clause. If not, Chelsea should respect Boga’s career development and let the transfer run its course.

What Boga needs at this point in his career is a chance. Meaning no disrespect to Sassuolo, Boga is better than a mid-tier Italian side. After being handed a starting position in a top-flight European league, Boga has tallied eight goals and two assists over the course of 21 starts. A bigger move is surely on the horizon, likely to a larger Italian club like Roma or Napoli.

After the Blues spent a pretty penny on Pulisic and Ziyech, Boga’s return would be a bad career move. He looks to have things figured out and thus, Chelsea should respect that and allow the one that got away succeed elsewhere.