We are in that part of the year when an injury, no matter if medium-term or even minor, can have devastating effects on a player’s hope of featuring at this summer’s European Championships.
Christopher Nkunku may have marked his return from another lay-off with a goal in the 2-1 midweek win at Brighton and Hove Albion but France coach Didier Deschamps had understandable reservations about calling up a man who had started only two Premier League games in 2023/24.
Nkunku has been left out of France’s Euros squad alongside Chelsea team-mates Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto.
Another man who will be denied a seat on the plane to Germany is a talented young full-back who, if it hadn’t been for the most cruelly-timed of knee injuries, would surely have been part of Ronald Koeman’s roster.
Chelsea move may be off for Quilindschy Hartman
In another world, Quilindschy Hartman – Feyenoord’s £25 million-rated left-back – would have shone at Euro 2024 before jetting out to England and undergoing pre-season preparations with Chelsea.
Instead, after turning down The Blues’ advances in January in favour of making a decision in June or July, Hartman is not only out of the Euros but out for most of 2024 after suffering up a serious knee issue back in March.
“I don’t think they want me now,” Hartman tells Goedemorgen Eredivisie of Chelsea’s interest, the Stamford Bridge ship sailing as far as he is concerned. “But they really wanted me, yes. It already started during the winter break. They came to Feyenoord.
“But, at that moment, I didn’t really want it myself. I had just broken through, just started playing in everything and made it to the Dutch national team. The European Championship was also coming.
“It was also clear from Feyenoord. We were open to it in the summer. But not now.”
Hartman, linked with Burnley and West Ham United last summer, is one of the most technically gifted young full-backs in Europe. Like Gusto, the 22-year-old Dutchman is at his best when fizzing crosses into the six-yard box on the overlap.
Hartman helped end Feyenoord’s five-year wait for Eredivisie glory in 2022/23, and followed that up with seven assists before his follow-up campaign ended prematurely.
“(Chelsea) came back in recent months and really wanted me,” adds Hartman. Unfortunately, things turned out differently. Now, I am staying with Feyenoord, but there is a good chance that it would have happened otherwise.
“(Chelsea) have wished me a lot of strength and said that the interest will not stop.”
Big summer ahead of Stamford Bridge
The interest – or previous interest – from Mauricio Pochettino’s side will do little to dispel the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell. The former remains unconvincing, while the latter has endured another injury-hit campaign.
HITC reported that Chelsea have agreed a deal to bring in one of their leading targets already, however, albeit a forward rather than a full-back. Estevao Willian is likely to join from Palmeiras, after the two-time Champions League winners agreed a deal worth up to £60 million.
Chelsea are also scouring the market for centre-forwards.
Victor Osimhen of Napoli is the leading target. There is also interest, though, in Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez, Sporting Lisbon’s super Swede Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.
Sesko, who was scouted by Arsenal on Saturday, scored in each of the final seven games of the Bundesliga campaign.
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