Fikayo Tomori has made it clear he is out to prove that Chelsea made a mistake by letting him go as he prepares to face his former club for the first time.
The central defender struggled to convince Thomas Tuchel that he could be a long-term option. As a result, he was sent on loan to AC Milan in January 2021, before he joined the Italian side permanently that summer.
Since his arrival at San Siro, Tomori has gone on to become one of the best young defenders in the Italian top flight. He was a stalwart for the Rossoneri as they won their first Serie A title for 11 years last season, booking a place in the Champions League in the process.
The draw for the group stage set up a tantalising clash against the Blues, with Tomori returning to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. And the Englishman is relishing the chance to show his boyhood club what they allowed to slip through their fingers.
"2020 was a difficult year, I would have liked to have been on the pitch more. It didn’t happen for whatever reason I was itching to get back on a pitch and be playing," he said.
"Milan gave me that opportunity and now I am here. For me, it’s another chance to see some familiar faces to show how I have developed. I know people have watched the games but going back to Stamford Bridge, where it all started is a chance to show myself again.
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"I kind of knew we would draw Chelsea before the draw came out so the fact it has happened now is really exciting. It was a suspicion for me. When it came out I remember my friends were all saying ‘you knew it, you knew it!’
"It is nice to see them again but I’m sure it’s the same for them if you ask them… once you step over that white line and the first whistle goes, it’s kind of like we’re not friends anymore. We’re trying to fight for the three points."
Tomori's performances in Italy have seen him regularly linked with a move back to the Premier League. But the 24-year-old has insisted that his full focus is on Milan, where he has a contract until 2027.
"Honestly, I haven’t thought about [returning to] England to be honest or too far into the future, or whether I’m going to stay here the rest of my career or go back to England," Tomori added.
"I just take it game by game, year by year. Right now, I signed a new contract and I think that signals how happy I am, how comfortable I am and where I see myself for the next few years.
"The Premier League is the best in the world. but for me right now, being at AC Milan and in Serie A, learning the trade as a defender, is where I’m comfortable and is what’s best for me. I’m really happy here."
