Three big questions: Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori mystery

2. A loan or a chance at redemption?

All roads, rumors, and signs point towards Tomori going out on loan. He had already fallen down to a distant fourth choice of four centerbacks before Thiago Silva signed for Chelsea. Silva’s arrival means someone has to make way and Tomori has to be top of that list.

Simply put, Tomori needs playing time. Young players and young defenders especially cannot improve unless they are testing themselves against opponents week in and week out. Tomori already lost nearly eight months of 2020 and he cannot afford to lose much more.

That being said, a loan would cause him to miss out on a valuable new mentor in Thiago Silva. The other three defenders can also learn from the new Brazilian centerback, but they are also reaching the point where what they do is engrained as muscle memory. They can pick up new tricks but they can’t change their trajectories. Tomori still can but not if he is on loan.

There is hope on that front as all the Chelsea centerbacks seem to be on the market for the right price. Eventually, the Blues may be looking to bring in Declan Rice with raised funds but he would be more suited to midfield after playing there for a few seasons. Even still, to afford Rice, two centerbacks may need to depart which could give Tomori a chance to stay.

Beyond that, Tomori really was the defender of the season all the way up until December or so. Maybe he made a mistake or maybe something else happened, no one knows for sure outside of that locker room. But surely enough time has passed where Tomori could go to Lampard and say what needs to be said for the two to start over.

Given the chance, Tomori could surely work his way into Lampard’s plans. Without one, that loan is going to have to be his way forward by taking a step back.