Three big questions: Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu and the up hill battle
By Travis Tyler
3. If he does go on loan, where should he go?
Ampadu is 19. While it is admirable that he wants to stay and even likely he has a role to play (if Rice does not come in), he needs playing time more than anything else right now. After two seasons where he wore the national team jersey more than any club jersey, he needs to be playing as much as possible for his development.
Chelsea will struggle to offer that in most circumstances, regardless of who is manager. A loan should remain on the cards with the only question being “where to?”
Obviously, the Leipzig loan was overly ambitious, but it also was not completely unreasonable. After all, Ampadu had played against Premier League opponents for Conte and done well. He regularly looks like one of the stars for Wales. But with so long off, what is his level?
A Championship loan would be easy to pull off and would guarantee minutes, but it seems beneath Ampadu’s ability. Another foreign loan would be unwise. That leaves the Premier League.
Where to is a difficult question. Obviously the top six are all out. The newly promoted teams should be out too. West Brom simply has nothing to offer, Leeds has already done Chelsea over on loans in recent seasons, and Fulham will likely not want to risk a yo-yo event on a loaned player they can’t sell themselves.
The likes of Everton, Leicester, or Wolves would be ambitious but perhaps too risky at this current point. That leaves the established relegation battlers and midtable. One club at least stands out.
Ralph Hasenhuttl was Leipzig’s manager before Nagelsmann (with some “interim” Ralf Rangnick thrown in between). While Southampton obviously is not Leipzig, they do share many traits. Even with barely playing for a year at Leipzig, Ampadu would already have a basic understanding of what Hasenhuttl is looking to do. That would help him find playing time much faster.
If there is any Premier League club Ampadu should be shopped out to for a loan, it should be Southampton.
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What questions do you think need to be asked of Ethan Ampadu ahead of the new season? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!