Borussia Monchengladbach supporters have voted for their player of the season and it is a Chelsea player that has trumped a new Arsenal star.
Chelsea player Andreas Christensen has won the player of the year award at loan club Borussia Monchengladbach after an impressive breakthrough season, the German club has confirmed.
The club’s website has announced that the 20-year-old Danish defender, who joined Chelsea in 2012 from Brondby, was voted clear recipient of the prestigious award with 54 per cent of supporter votes, beating Arsenal’s new big-money midfielder Granit Xhaka into second place (15 per cent).
New Gunners man Xhaka, currently featuring in the European Championships, is a long time favourite at his former club, becoming an integral part of Monchengladbach’s midfield despite arriving from Basel as a teenager.
The Swiss captained his side in what turned out to be his final season at Borussia Park, and has been involved in one of the club’s most successful periods in the modern era, which has seen a second consecutive finish in the Bundesliga top four.
23-year-old Xhaka was snapped up by the Gunners for a cool fee of £35 million according to BBC Sport, and there are big hopes for the classy Swiss international ahead of the new season.
But it is Christensen who most caught the eye last time out, which is a huge achievement considering he had just one league appearance to his name in his career before his two-year loan switch at the start of last season.
With 39 appearances and three goals later it is clear that Chelsea have a real defensive gem on their hands, with the Monchengladbach website report that the youngster had a tackling accuracy of 66.49 per cent in the season just gone, the third best in the Bundesliga.
And with John Terry coming to the end of his career, and Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill no spring chickens, the Blues may well hope that when Christensen returns to Stamford Bridge he will have a major part to play.
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