While Chelsea has been on a rampant spending spree since last season, one player whom it has targeted—but could not land—is West Ham’s Declan Rice. The 22-year-old English midfielder has been sensational for the Hammers and is one of the youngest players in the Three Lions’ squad. He had also represented Ireland before representing England, so you can see the player is in high demand. The Blues have been after Rice since last season under Frank Lampard, however, they may no longer need him. Chelsea already has a rising star of its own who could fill that spot.
Trevoh Chalobah is the newest star from the Cobham academy to break into the first team. Ever since Lampard took over the Blues in 2019, the club has focused a lot on its youth players. It has also produced some absolute sensations—such as Mason Mount and Reece James. While some of the others were not fortunate enough to keep their place in the first team, players like Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham, they were given a lot of chances to prove themselves. Chalobah is the latest player to be given an opportunity with the big boys in the senior squad.
Could Chelsea rising star Trevoh Chalobah’s situation provide a solution to the Blues’ uninspiring chase of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice?
While the player is technically a centerback, and that is where Thomas Tuchel has been using him, it should be noted that he can play as a defensive midfielder, as well. The Blues currently have the best defensive midfielder in the world in N’Golo Kante, however, he is getting older and the club needs to think about the future. That is the reason why both Lampard and Tuchel were interested in bringing in Rice. The midfielder is capable of playing in his current position higher up the pitch or as a centerback. Rice performs quite well for West Ham week in and week out, acting as a leader, and he is already well-connected with players in the Chelsea team. He has amazing relationships with other England youngsters like Mount, James, Chilwell and Hudson-Odoi.
It seems as if the deal won’t go through this year either as West Ham’s valuation is far too high, but Chelsea might have a perfect solution to that problem with Chalobah. The 22-year-old academy graduate was on loan to French side Lorient last season, and he played a total of 30 games for the Ligue 1 outfit. In 11 of those games, he played in a central midfield role and in one game, he even played as a right midfielder. This just goes on to show that he is very versatile in nature, and it could be exploited by Tuchel, as well.
In his recent performances, supporters have already seen his ability to snatch the ball from the opposition with his fantastic anticipation skills. This—along with his surprisingly decent finishing ability—makes him a perfect candidate to play as a central defensive midfielder, or even a central midfielder. Tuchel has not completely put his faith in the young player, but a few more good performances and Chalobah could become a regular for the ongoing season.
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