Chelsea should move quickly for Branco van den Boomen

N’Golo Kante went down injured in the second half of the game against Tottenham Hotspur, and reports now suggest that he’ll be out for at least four weeks. Chelsea has Ethan Ampadu, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic to fill in for him. This, however, leaves the Blues with many of the same players who have similar traits for that vacant position. Chelsea doesn’t have another player who is comfortable affecting play from deep, such as Jorginho.

Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic are all box-to-box players who cannot sit deep. They affect play by carrying the ball up the pitch, rather than passing it. Kovacic may be the exception, but even the Croatian is predominantly a dribbler. The Blues need another Jorginho-esque player who can sit alongside any of any other Kante replacements in a match. That player should be Toulouse FC midfielder Branco van den Boomen.

Chelsea should move quickly for Toulouse midfielder Branco van den Boomen

Van den Boomen is a pure central midfielder who currently plays in a double pivot for newly-promoted side Toulouse. The Dutchman was influential for his team with his passing and chance creation, granted it was Ligue 2, but he has made the jump to top flight football and he has not skipped a beat. Van den Boomen played most games in Ligue 2 as the left central midfielder in a midfield three, but he was never an attacking midfielder. He still mainly influenced the game from deep with his passing.

His numbers in Ligue 2 were impressive, even for a season in the second division. It was appropriate for his skill level though. Van den Boomen created 3.4 chances per game for Toulouse last season in Ligue 2. He also created 30 big chances in the league. He took 1.7 shots per game, scored 12 goals and tallying on a whopping 21 assists. Say what you want about the skill level of the competition, but 21 assists at any level is outrageous, especially for a deep midfielder.

Van den Boomen’s passing is one of his best traits, especially when it comes to his long passing. If Chelsea is able to get him, he’d transform the Blues’ way of attacking because he’d be able to get the ball to runners quickly. The Dutchman averaged 9.1 long balls per game—which is, again, ridiculous—at a 68% accuracy. He’s a high-volume long passer, which can be a disadvantage, but not with his accuracy. At the accuracy van den Boomen completes long passes, his passing is a dangerous weapon for any team he plays in. Chelsea doesn’t have a player like van den Boomen currently in its ranks. Therefore, he’d be a valuable addition before the window closes.

His defending is not as good as Jorginho’s, but it is alright for a back-up. Van den Boomen is very good in pressing and counter-pressing as he won 0.7 possessions in the final third for Toulouse last season. In two games this season, he has averaged 0.5 possessions won in the final third. Van den Boomen averaged 60% tackling success rate last season in Ligue 2, this season he has averaged 50%, attempting four tackles per game.

Van den Boomen has averaged 18.5 pressures per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, which is very good for a central midfielder. His defensive numbers last season may be explained by the fact that Toulouse was by far the best team in the division, so the current Ligue 1 season will give spectators a better idea of his defensive acumen.

For a tall player, he doesn’t contest many aerial duels though. In fact, he has not contested any this season, though he has won his ground duels at a 58% rate. Chelsea doesn’t have many tall players at the moment. At 6-foot-3, van den Boomen would add some much needed height. Van den Boomen is clearly a technically gifted player; the Blues urgently need a player of his profile.

A move for van den Boomen could be very easy indeed as he has just a year left on his contract (expires in June 2023). Van den Boomen would not need to play every game, but he’d be more than capable of impacting the team whenever called upon, especially with his passing from deep.