Chelsea are set to re-build this summer. Where does Sturridge fit into the plans?
The Evening Standard reported yesterday that Sturridge was considering his Chelsea future, with the headline ‘I don’t know if I will be at Chelsea next season’.
Sturridge, who revealed he is hoping to be part of Britain’s Olympic squad, actually gave no indications he wants to leave the club.
Save for the blurred ‘You never know what is going to happen in the future’, quote, it is more likely than not he will remain at the Bridge next season and attempt to make his mark in the new squad.
What he will need to do is have a little patience. Sturridge, as has been reported several times, wants to play as a centre-forward, as he did during his loan spell at Bolton.
For much of last season he found himself on the right-wing, a new position for him, and he lost his form badly since the turn of the year.
He scored 12 goals in total, but only three in the second half of the season, and this dip in form, coupled with losing a regular starting spot, is what would have cost him a place in England’s Euro 2012 squad.
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He would have been targeting a place in the squad since the beginning of the season, and will see former under-21 strike partner Danny Welbeck lead the line in Ukraine, and you could understand his disappointment.
Yet Sturridge really only has himself to blame. He publicly demanded a central striking spot in the middle of the season, his first full one in a Chelsea shirt, when he should have simply been patient and got his head down.
He was linked with a summer switch to Arsenal, which many believe was down to his agent attempting to put pressure on the club.
Sturridge is only 22, and must bide his time. Playing out wide is all part of the player’s development, and just to have a starting spot in a team like Chelsea, he should be grateful.
By the end of the season, he had lost it. Overlooked for the big games, including both cup finals, Di Matteo had realised his lack of form, while fans had become frustrated with his selfishness, and unwillingness to pass.
Sturridge added in the interview with the Standard that he wants to be a part of things next season, so the idea of him going elsewhere is at this point a non-starter, unless the club themselves decide they want to sell him.
Where he will fit into the ‘new Chelsea’ is another matter.
Taking him as a centre-forward, he currently competes with Torres and Lukaku for the spot, but Chelsea are likely to sign one if not two forwards, with Hulk, Falcao, and Cavani, names linked.
Which would increase the competition, especially if Chelsea’ formation only allows for one out and out striker, meaning Sturridge would find himself shunted out to the right wing.
It may not be his ideal solution, but he should be patient, bide his time and continue learning as a footballer. If he jumps ship too soon, when he looks back on his career he may end up regretting it.
With Marin, De Bruyne, and possibly Hazard, set to come into the club, and more too, competition in the attack will increase. His sojourn at the Olympics, if it happens, may do his club career more harm than he realises, as he will miss Chelsea’s final build-up and Community Shield game, and most likely start the season on the bench.
Chelsea are on a new adventure. Sturridge must be patient and enjoy any chances which come his way, and most importantly, take them.
What does Daniel Sturridge’s Chelsea future hold?
image: © Ben Sutherland
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