Chelsea: Three defensive mid options if no one arrives on deadline day

2. Andreas Christensen

The earliest rumors about Rice said Chelsea viewed him as a centerback despite his playing in midfield for at least two full seasons now. The cop out is to call him a halfback. The role is used in a few different ways around the world but in general it now means a defensive midfield that can drop in between the centerbacks as needed. There are many players in that mold such as Rice and Chelsea’s on loan Ethan Ampadu. In house? Andreas Christensen can perform the role.

It has been a long time since Lampard floated the notion of Christensen as a defensive midfielder. Even having floated the notion, he has never actually used the Dane there. The only time Christensen ever really plays in midfield is for his national team, and even that does not happen very often anymore.

It could suit him, however. Christensen has always been positionally sound and he has a great passing range for a defender. His main drawback has always been his physicality which can be coped with better in midfield than it can at the back. Christensen would also give Lampard the option to switch between a back three and back four without the need of a substitute as the game dictates.

The main issue here is Lampard has had the option, knows he has the option, and he still hasn’t actually done it. Maybe in his mind Christensen is an option but it appears as though it is locked behind a glass case that says “in case of emergency break glass”. But if Chelsea is overloaded with centerbacks when the window shuts, Christensen moving into midfield could help alleviate the pressure and allow Lampard to play his dual eight system more often.