Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Davide Zappacosta (Part 15)

In Part 14 of this series, I broke down Jack Wakely’s career at Chelsea and discussed what his future in football looks like. For those who haven’t read the introductory piece to this series, a different player will be the subject of a new article every day. I began with goalkeepers and am currently in the process of working my way up the pitch, with each position group being sorted in order by the way in which they appear on the club’s website.

As I move on with the loan army series, I conclude the deep dive into the defensive loanees with Davide Zappacosta. Around Stamford Bridge, he’s known for three things: having the most Italian name ever, incredible facial hair and a stunning strike during his European debut. Zappacosta didn’t light the world on fire during his stint with the Blues, but he was a fan favorite from the moment that goal hit the back of the net. What’s he been up to since?

More from Chelsea FC Loan Watch

• Chelsea: The €30m January signing who will highly excel with Pochettino’s appointment
• Chelsea loan Army: How Ian Maatsen has got on at Burnley
• What’s next for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as asking price revealed?
• The next man up for Chelsea: Left back Ian Maatsen
• The next man up for Chelsea: Center forward Mason Burstow

What does Davide Zappacosta’s Chelsea career look like?

Zappacosta began his career as a six-year-old, playing forward for his hometown team, Sora. He spent a decade in his birthplace before venturing 15 minutes southwest to join Isola Liri. It took just two seasons for Zappacosta to breakthrough Liri’s academy and join their first team in 2010. His 14 appearances were enough to convince the Serie A newcomers, Atalanta, to pursue the young wide man. Zappacosta signed for Atalanta on a co-ownership deal for €60,000.

Then 19, he played for the Primavera for a few months before being purchased on a co-ownership deal by Avellino in 2011. He went on to make 91 appearances over three seasons with Avellino before returning to Atalanta for €900,000. Zappacosta’s rapid rise through the Italian ranks continued.

During the 2014/15 campaign—Zappacosta’s only true full season with Atlanta, despite being employed by the club in 2011—the fullback made 30 appearances. He became known as one of the most versatile “defenders” in the country, tallying four goal contributions. This caught the eye of Italian giants, Torino, who added Zappacosta and Daniele Baselli to the club in the 2015 transfer window. The fullback played in 58 games for I Granata, registering an impressive two goals and five assists, but once again found himself moving clubs. This time, an offer came in that Zappacosta simply couldn’t refuse.

The defender made his first move out of Italy on deadline day in 2017 when Chelsea came calling. Antonio Conte and the Blues had searched for many fullbacks—pursuing Juventus’ Alex Sandro and Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain—to compete with Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses at the wingback spots. Chelsea’s attempts to lure elite wide men to Stamford Bridge were unsuccessful, and the club made a desperation move for Zappacosta in the dying moments of the window.

The Italian signed a four-year deal with the Blues and made his debut when replacing Moses in a Premier League contest against Leicester City. However, many supporters will point to his full debut as the most memorable moment for Zappacosta in a Chelsea shirt. Playing in his first ever Champions League contest, the right wingback scored a world class goal in the Blues’ 6-0 rout of Qarabag. He added one more goal—this time against Stoke City—on the season just before the turn of the New Year. He was a key figure off the bench for Conte, often filling in as a left and right wingback for Alonso and Moses. Much like the latter though, his time was limited once Conte was sacked.

Maurizio Sarri didn’t have much use for Zappacosta in his system, so the Italian defender often found himself used as a substitute. He managed to play in some cup games, but his involvement was minimal. Zappacosta played just over 1,000 minutes on the season. Sarri departed following the 2018/19 season, but Zappacosta’s standing didn’t change in the team. He was loaned out to Roma for the first half of the upcoming campaign, with an option to buy, but suffered an ACL injury just a few months into his return to Italy. He went back to Cobham to rehab.

Unsurprisingly, Zappacosta bounced back from his injury and returned to his old self ahead of the 2020/21 season. This saw him move again on loan—this time to Genoa. The 28-year-old scored in his return to competitive football as he helped the Serie A side defeat Crotone 4-1. Despite another injury keeping him out of the squad from October to December, Zappacosta has managed to play in 19 games for Genoa. He’s been efficient, scoring two and assisting two, in 1,500+ minutes on the pitch. Zappacosta’s impressed thus far, going the distance in almost every game since his return from injury.

This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Zappacosta this summer?

Verdict: Sell

Simply put, Zappacosta belongs in Italy. His past, present and future all involve Italy and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. He’s a superb Serie A player and although he may not be remembered as the best transfer in Chelsea’s history, he’s far from the worst. Giving Zappacosta the opportunity to return to his homeland full-time is what’s best for both parties. The Blues won’t be able to recoup their original transfer fee, but anything more than €10 million would be considered a massive success at this point in time.

Remember to check back with The Pride of London each and every day as I dive into the largely uncharted world of Chelsea’s famous loan army. Part 16’s subject is versatile midfielder Ethan Ampadu.