Five potential options for Chelsea’s fourth midfielder spot in 2021/22
2. Ethan Ampadu
Whereas Loftus-Cheek was the safe bet, Ethan Ampadu is the wildcard. Ampadu has spent the last two seasons on loan away from SW6. Both moves turned out to be failures for different reasons entirely. His time at RB Leipzig was spent on the bench playing third fiddle to Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano. When Ampadu did play for Die Roten he was superb—most notably in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur. The move to Sheffield United was a mess due to the poor form of the Blades, the managerial change and overall lack of quality around him.
All of that being said, it’s not the near past that defines Ampadu’s placement on this list, it’s the distant past. The Welsh international thrived as both a centerback in Antonio Conte’s back three and as a part of the Italian’s midfield pair. He’s strong, technically sound and surprisingly quick. The youngster has seen his future put under the microscope by Blues supporters—largely due to the last two loans—but I can assure you, the 20-year-old still has a lot of fight left in him. Ampadu is all-around just as talented as nearly anybody in Chelsea’s academy or loan army.
It’s Tuchel’s similar set-up to Conte’s that has some believing Ampadu can be the answer to the problems in numerous positions around the pitch. He, like Loftus-Cheek, has not been heavily linked to any moves away from London with just 12 days to go until the transfer window slams shut. Unfortunately, Ampadu hasn’t seen much of the pitch either. Tuchel will have had plenty of time to evaluate the youngster in training and closed-door friendlies, but not in an in-game situation. Ampadu came back to Cobham with the late Euro 2020 returnees for reasons unknown. This meant his preseason experience was limited to a substitute appearance versus Tottenham.
For all intents and purposes, Ampadu is a very capable fourth midfielder—albeit a raw talent. His defensive awareness and on-ball capability make him one of the best choices within the Blues’ ranks. It’s uncertain how many minutes the player in this position would get though, so Chelsea could very well have another plan for the versatile youngster.