Lucas Digne made his mark against his former club, Everton. He landed an assist for Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia after being iced out by former boss Rafa Benitez.
Why did Chelsea not get him whilst they could? Was it the fee? Or was it just that Thomas Tuchel did not necessarily prefer the left back. One thing that is for certain is that Chelsea need a left back/wing-back and there is only a week left in the transfer window.
Whilst a move to bring Emerson back to Stamford Bridge looked to have been Tuchel’s solution, there is still another contingency that could be in place. A free contingency. However, the possibility of this is now slim with Chelsea bidding for Derby County’s Dylan Williams.
The growth of the youth is important for Chelsea fans. After witnessing the success of Mason Mount, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Tammy Abraham, there are many youngsters from the academy who look to replicate this dream. Lifting the Champions League with your boyhood club may only come once in a lifetime for those who are lucky enough.
Ian Maatsen is the contingency that Chelsea has for that left wing-back role. Not only is he the same age as Dylan White, but he also already mastered the left-wing back role for Coventry City. Why would you look elsewhere? I am a huge advocate for using in-house resources. If the Blues were not keen on signing a new player who would demand game time once Ben Chilwell was back and fit, why not recall Maatsen?
From now until the end of the season, Maatsen would be guaranteed game time. At the beginning of next season, it would serve him best to go back out on loan to further his development.
Derby County boss Wayne Rooney has given Williams his blessings stating that he would not stand in his way of this opportunity for him, but the youngster will not be expected to break into Thomas Tuchels first-team squad instantly. Instead, he would be made an option for the development squad.
What would this mean for Maatsen in the future? Would he be able to find success at Chelsea, or would that privilege be handed to Williams? Both are fantastic young options to have at Tuchel’s disposal. A fair option would be to give Maatsen a run, rewarding his hard work and progression during his loan spells. We have nothing to lose by doing this.
The German coach is also not shy in developing young talent and I can see a future for both prospects. However, with this in mind, Chelsea is still at square one. Who will take that left wing-back role? They are running out of time!
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