Chelsea could be set to face considerable decisions over the state of their midfield ahead of next season. Current Blues boss Thomas Tuchel still has his stalwarts to turn to in the form of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho but that is all-but where the certainty lies.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley have both been linked with moves away, whilst there is a significant call to make over the future of Spaniard Saul Niguez. He joined Chelsea on a season-long loan deal at the start of the season but so far has failed to establish himself as first-choice at Stamford Bridge.
Saul has only been afforded 24 appearances in all competitions this season - only eight of those coming in the Premier League. Being named in the starting line-up is even more of a rarity for the 27-year-old having only been granted four league starts, whilst he has not played a single minute in the league since appearing in mid-March against Norwich City.
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Considering that lack of match action, it appears highly unlikely that the Blues will activate their option to retain Saul permanently once his initial loan deal at Stamford Bridge expires. Whilst that would certainly not be the end of the world for the Blues, it might leave the club in a somewhat tricky spot should Loftus-Cheek and Barkley also wave goodbye.
With the trio departing, that might well leave Chelsea midfield options seriously dwindled ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Of course, the west-Londoners have been linked with a move for a number of midfielders around Europe - the names of Declan Rice and Aurelien Tchouameni the most prominent.
Should Chelsea complete deals for the duo, that would certainly solve the problem but an even cheaper option could potentially reveal itself should the Blues prefer to use those funds elsewhere. Some fans will certainly be forgiven for forgetting that Tiemoue Bakayoko is still a Chelsea player.
The Frenchman disappointed following his reported £40m move from Monaco and has since been sent out on four consecutive loan deals - the latest with AC Milan. Still at the age of 27, the one-time Ligue 1 winner joined the French giants on a two-year loan deal with an obligation to buy in 2023.
However, reports from CalcioMercato state that the current Serie A leaders are exploring the option of sending Bakayoko back to Stamford Bridge a year early, the midfielder having only made five starts for the club all season - a fate similar to that suffered by Saul in west London. That decision could well be complicated by the aforementioned option to buy but it is certainly an intriguing option for the Blues.
Whilst some will not be overjoyed with the prospect of Bakayoko returning to contention for Chelsea considering his horrendous debut campaign, he might well emerge as an option to take-up the bit-part role vacated by Saul should the Blues choose not to bring him back at the end of the season.
