With Chelsea’s season moving along nicely at the top of the Premier League table, many will be beginning to turn their minds to the seasons ahead.
Whilst within the walls of the Cobham training ground, all will still be focused on the remaining 13 games of the league season, as well as a hopeful FA Cup run, considering their eight point lead over nearest challengers Manchester City, who are still impossible to predict form wise, fans will be plotting summer signings and the like.
One main talking point, aside from the dominance of Antonio Conte’s side, as we approach the summer will undoubtedly be star striker Diego Costa who continued to lead Chelsea on Saturday as he added the second goal for the Blues as they beat Wolves 2-0 in the FA Cup to move into the 1/4 finals, succeeding where Liverpool had failed in the previous round.
The former Atletico Madrid man was at the epicentre of one of the sagas of the January window, with rumours of a big money move to China flying here there and everywhere after a training ground bust up with Conte and another coach.
Whilst the manager insists all is well between the pair, it seems clear that Costa isn’t what you’d call content with life in English football and could certainly be on his way come the summer window, whether that be to China or back to his former side, Atletico, as they move into a new stadium.
The talk, then, as we approach a summer window will be surrounding those big money replacements that Conte and Abramovich will be targeting to fill the hole left by their talismanic striker.
Costa is a forward like no other, given the presence he brings and fear he strikes into an opposing defence, even before a ball is kicked, and thus will be incredibly hard to replace. However, should the Blues be looking closer to home for someone to fill the gap?
Chelsea are often given a tough time for the way in which they use the loan system, often having over 30 players out away from the club on a temporary basis with the slimmest of chances of making a real impact on the first team.
The last loanee to have made a tangible mark on the first team was, arguably, Ryan Bertrand who, having made a handful of appearances in the Premier League towards the end of the season, was handed his European debut in the 2012 Champions League final where he played 73 minutes. The full-back, however, was subsequently loaned to Southampton before making his move to the south coast permanent.
What that points to is a rarity for academy players to have a lasting role within the first team at Stamford Bridge, one thing many fans would like to see change. Step forward Tammy Abraham. The striker is currently facing a spell on the sidelines with an injury layoff, however, until now the man on loan at Championship side Bristol City has been in scintillating form.
His 21 goals in all competitions this season is a remarkable record, especially considering he is in a struggling side. Whilst it may be a huge step up for the powerful 19-year-old, who stands at 6’2”, a striker in form can bag goals at any level as Marcus Rashford has shown at Manchester United over the past year. Furthermore, considering the support around him in the Chelsea side, Abraham could well be the one all Blues fans have been waiting for as he has made a big impression on all the teams he has played for including the England U21 side.
It will be very interesting to see what kind of a chance young Abraham has earned for himself next season – could he be the Chelsea player who makes a Rashford like move into the first team squad? It seems as though the striker may be able to make an impression on Antonio Conte and the fact that he has been on loan in England should help him plus he set the record for most goals in the Championship by a teenager earlier this year. The starlet is viewed as being indispensable by Bristol City leaving them in a bad place now that he is sidelined with a thigh injury which could keep him out for the remainder of the season. Abraham is currently the 3rd leading scorer in the Championship and looks like he is a serious prospect as Bristol City are widely viewed to be almost totally reliant on the youngster to avoid relegation this season after they had looked so good early on in the campaign.
The silver lining to the injury cloud for Tammy Abraham could be that he comes back to Chelsea for the best treatment on his thigh problem and gets to be around the Chelsea manager, staff and first team squad where he may be able to make an impression and put himself in the mind of the manager. In a perfect world Costa stays with the Blues and Abraham earns a place in the 1st team squad for next season and gets to play with and learn from the Spanish international.