Possible replacements for Andreas Christensen at Chelsea
By Udit Damle
Matthijs de Ligt
The real dream scenario for Chelsea would be if Christensen decided to sign a contract extension and stay at Stamford Bridge beyond this season, but the chances of that happening now look bleak. Although, having a generational talent like Matthijs de Ligt to replace him in the squad would not be a bad way for things to turn out either.
The Blues have been linked with de Ligt since last summer and if the reports are true, an incoming bid could be on the cards in the summer. There is this myth around de Ligt that he has been poor ever since he joined Juventus. However, that is simply not true. After struggling initially in his first season in Italy, de Ligt has been immense for the Old Lady. Despite being in contention along with Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Merih Demiral and Daniele Rugani—all of whom have been great centerbacks for the majority of their careers—the Dutchman has amassed a lot of game time. He has routinely put up solid performances for the Turin-based club.
De Ligt is a more all-around defender and shows attributes of both stoppers and sweepers in his game. Although his numbers for pressures and tackles are quite low, which indicates his tendency to stay disciplined in defense. He is unlikely to hunt down, body and win the ball from opposing players quite as Rudiger does. He has made 1.37 interceptions and 1.69 blocks per 90 minutes. These statistics are not on par with Christensen and Silva, but show that de Ligt might be a great fit playing the role. His progressive passing stats are not very similar to Silva and Christensen either. However, he has experience playing at the heart of a very possession-driven Ajax side and could do better on the ball when put in this Chelsea side.
The department in which he shows exceptional ability is aerial duels. He wins 3.26 aerial duels per 90 minutes, indicating he is strong in the air and can also offer an indirect set-piece threat. De Ligt is also just 22 years of age. The young centerhalf still has a lot room to grow, as well as a plethora of experience. He is highly coachable considering his age and must have learned a lot from Bonucci and Chiellini during his time at Juventus. Coming to Chelsea and being an understudy to Silva before replacing him would be a great move for both he and the Blues..