Chelsea defender drops hint he could be the next out of the exit door

Chelsea defender drops hint he could be the next out of the exit door

Chelsea’s summer transfer window thus far has mostly orientated around outgoing deals from Stamford Bridge, with highly-rated youngsters Bertrand Traore and Nathan Ake both sealing exits over the course of the past week.

Speculation continues to suggest that Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic could be following that young duo out of the door, leaving major holes within the Chelsea squad that Antonio Conte needs to fill before his title defence commences.

A major criticism for the Blues in recent years has been their failure to utilise young players within their squad efficiently and further warning signs have been sent their way in recent days, with young defender Andreas Christensen suggesting he could be on the move.

The Danish defender has excelled on a two-year loan deal with Borussia Monchengladbach but the Blues were keen to see him return ahead of the new season. However, their links to signing a new centre-half means the 21-year-old continues to face an uncertain future in West London.

In an Instagram post saying goodbye to the Bundesliga side, Christensen hinted at a return to the German outfit.

Whilst it may not suggest an exit is imminent, it does show that Christensen is ready to make a change to his career if it’s the best course of action for him- and that puts pressure on Chelsea to prove he will be utilised.

The sale of Nathan Ake shows that Chelsea are still reluctant to hand opportunities to young players, despite the fact he excelled on-loan with Bournemouth and was recalled from his loan spell in January, which suggests Christensen won’t get the opportunities he craves.

Loan deals are meant to hand opportunities for young players to make an impression with first-team football, build experience and then return to their parent side to make an impact in the senior squad but Chelsea haven’t managed to utilise this properly.

Losing Christensen would be another major blow as he has the potential to be a starter for the Blues for the best part of the next decade and finding a similar player, who’s more established, would certainly prove to be costly.