Chelsea: Do not overthink Marco van Ginkel’s potential contract extension

Marco van Ginkel has had a long and hard time at Chelsea. Do not overthink the extension currently on the table for him to make that road longer.

Marco van Ginkel arrived at Chelsea as seemingly the heir apparent to Frank Lampard. Even Jose Mourinho rated him at his young age. But then the first injury came. Loans followed and he seemed to find his feet again. Then the next injuries came. For more or less two years now, Van Ginkel has been sidelined.

His recovery has been going well as of late and he has been spotted at Stamford Bridge training. This season is surely a bust for him, but the now 27 year old will quickly have to get his career going again next season.

Interestingly, Chelsea has thrown themselves into those plans. Van Ginkel’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and, per the player himself, the club is offering him an extension. This has understandably gotten tongues wagging, but it really is not worth overthinking.

First of all, it does not mean Van Ginkel will be extended and immediately loaned and/or sold though that is surely part of the plan at some point. Van Ginkel has not played since 2018 and it would be incredibly hard to convince any club to take him at this point.

That also does not mean Chelsea has an eye on using him though he may appear yet if results go well. Chelsea’s midfield is stacked and is likely to become more so. Van Ginkel simply does not have a place, especially with the youth revolution also in play.

So if Chelsea is not looking to use him and not looking to immediately sell or loan him, then why bother extending? The answer is Covid. Or rather, Covid related.

Imagine being a free agent at this moment in time. Clubs are getting hit financially because of the virus and reinforcing the squad will be more difficult than ever. With resources limited, will any club be willing to use them on someone that has not played in two years? It is unlikely.

Furthermore, what are the chances Van Ginkel can go out on his own as a free agent and find himself a club? Sure, his agent will do most of that heavy lifting, but it will be much, much easier to do with Chelsea’s help. The Blues, if they are feeling truly generous, could even cover some of the wages. That simply could not happen without extending him.

So the answer to the question of “why extend” is simple; it is the right thing to do. That may blow the mind of many Chelsea fans and non fans alike but it is probably the right answer. Chelsea has little need for the player in the first team and he will struggle to be sold immediately. But because he would also struggle on his own, Chelsea is throwing out a hand to help his future career prospects (whatever they may be).

Van Ginkel’s road to recovery has been long. Hopefully his injuries are behind him now and the club can help him forge ahead with what is left of his career.