Chelsea: Power ranking in house solutions to fill the midfield gap

Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour seems to be going on loan to get some much needed minutes. That’s good, but it leaves a gap in midfield to fill. On paper, it might appear as the Blues need to go out and buy a midfielder. That, however, would be an overreaction. Not only would it block the pipeline for guys like Gilmour, a new signing isn’t really a necessity for what will be the fourth choice midfielder.

Thomas Tuchel preferred to rotate mainly between N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho in any combination before dipping further. So, whoever fills the gap need not be a super star, just serviceable. Chelsea already has plenty of in house players that could fill that role. Here are just five options, from least likely/ideal to most likely/ideal (and excluding shifting players around like Mason Mount into the midfield pair).

5. Ethan Ampadu

Is he a defender? Is he a midfielder? After all these years, the answer is still “yes”. Ampadu’s a player that, in the right circumstances, can look like the player full of promise that was starting against Premier League opposition for Antonio Conte. He’s got good positioning, can put in a tackle, and is tidy on the ball.

The main negative is Ampadu can get a bit sloppy at times. His loan to Sheffield United offered playing time but little else as they crashed out of the Premier League. Ampadu could look an improved player surrounded by better teammates, but another loan (to a more stable club) might be more of what he needs next season than being fourth choice at Chelsea.

4. Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Loftus-Cheek spent last season on loan at Fulham trying to find his form again after a nasty injury. Like Ampadu, he likely suffered from a team falling into the Championship. On his day, Loftus-Cheek has all the ability to be able to play in Tuchel’s pivot. It might also mask any loss of pace he may have suffered. And, like Ampadu, being surrounded by better teammates might bring the best out of him.

All that being said, for a player that really needed to light it up and Fulham, it’s very hard to say he did anything close to that. With Lazio sniffing about for a transfer, it might be time to make the sad but practical decision to part ways. Loftus-Cheek could do a job, but for his own sake it might be best to go somewhere that he can do that weekly instead of occasionally.

3. Tiemoue Bakayoko

Before anyone gets up in arms, remember that we’re talking about the fourth choice midfielder. Bakayoko has had his moments out on loan away from Chelsea but no one ever seems willing to make the transfer happen. Tuchel (or, at the very least Paris Saint-Germain) had passing interest a few years ago and, should Bakayoko be able to match the early career expectations of him, he could be a solid addition to the Chelsea team.

On the other hand, both Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard took a look at him and opted out. Every club he’s been on loan at has had the chance to make the transfer permanent and all of them have declined. If Bakayoko’s issues are on the ball, it’s hard to see Tuchel trusting him in one of the two positions that will see it constantly and need to be sharp with passes. This might be a now or never decision but it’s still a coin flip as to whether it could work or not.

2. Trevoh Chalobah

Death, taxes, and a Chalobah having a chance to play as a midfielder in a Chelsea 3-4-3. Chalobah spent the season on loan at FC Lorient in Ligue 1 and was one of the loan army’s standouts. Splitting time between centerback and midfield, Chalobah put in a solid body of work. If a Premier League team is interested in bringing him in on loan, it’ll be hard to say no, but at the same time Chelsea should ask themselves “why not us then?”.

The main issue will be playing time. Even if the fourth choice midfielder gets more minutes than Gilmour would have, will it be enough to justify keeping them? Again, if a good enough Premier League loan is on the table, it makes more sense to let Chalobah go than keep him to play paltry minutes. It just depends on what the plan is for the fourth choice.

1. Conor Gallagher

Normally when a manager is sacked and replaced midseason, it’s bad news for loaned players. But for others, like Gallagher, it’s just a chance to prove themselves. The fact that Gallagher was able to stay a key (and productive) player for West Brom under two managers and relegation last season is a testament of his potential. Furthermore, if Jorginho and Kovacic are seen as similar stylistically, Gallagher fills the role of a Kante deputy better than most.

The main drawback to this would be the same as Chalobah’s. Should a Premier League club be interested in a loan, it’ll be very hard to turn them down. Gallagher, being more similar to Kante than Jorginho or Kovacic, might get more minutes than most of the alternatives, but would it be enough to keep him away from starting at another Premier League club every week?

Who do you think can fill the gap a Billy Gilmour loan would leave? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!