Chelsea are reportedly interested in battling Spurs for Youcef Atal.
Chelsea’s young guns are impressing under Frank Lampard, and there may yet be more to come this season.
Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham are the only players to have scored in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, and they’re all English and 21 or under.
The Blues will even be able to welcome back Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi soon, with all three out through injury right now.
James coming back will give Lampard an intriguing dilemma, as he’ll be faced with the decision of either sticking with Cesar Azpilicueta or bringing in inexperienced James.
Strangely though, Calciomercato claim that Chelsea are pursuing a move for Nice star Youcef Atal, potentially adding another right back to Lampard’s ranks.
Atal, 23, is an exciting, attack-minded right back who looks set for a bright future, but isn’t that exactly how Chelsea would describe James too?
Yes, Azpilicueta has struggled a little this season, and it’s likely that James will end up taking his spot before the season is out. Yet should the Spaniard be completely shunned?
Azpilicueta is 30, meaning there is still life left in him, and keeping him around as a veteran presence could be invaluable, rather than replacing him with Atal, and then having two young backs and potentially stunting the development of one of them.
Chelsea may well rate Atal, and believe they have a chance to beat rivals Tottenham to his signature. The Daily Mail claim that Spurs want to sign the Algerian as a solution to their right back issues, with Mauricio Pochettino a fan.
Chelsea already have their heir to Azpilicueta, and just because James is coming through doesn’t that Azpilicueta should be cast aside. Signing Atal to battle alongside James may cause issues with the development of the two players, and as good as Atal is, risking James’ development would be a mistake.
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