Christian Atsu has been impressive at the World Cup with Ghana but does he now deserve a chance at parent-club Chelsea?
Jose Mourinho signed Atsu from FC Porto last summer for £3.5million but the player has yet to appear for the Blues and spent the last campaign on loan at Dutch club Vitesse.
The 22-year-old signed a five-year contract with Chelsea but will find it difficult to make an impact with the first team ahead of Willian, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah.
His displays with Ghana at the World Cup will either give Atsu a chance to impress in the Premier League at Chelsea in the near future, or see his value rise ahead of a permanent switch elsewhere.
The pacey winger scored five goals and got six assists in 27 Eredivisie appearances with Vitesse last season and has already made a statement with his displays in Brazil.
His decisions in the final third have let him down but he looks dangerous whenever he picks up the ball and his pace can cause real problems in behind defences.
| Team | Pos | Chance Created | Total Pass | Touches | Won Contest | Total Scoring Att | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Atsu | Ghana | MF | 1 | 25 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 71 |
Atsu completed 88% of his 25 passes in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Germany and won one of his dribbles, creating one chance.
Chelsea have an abundance of talented wingers to choose from and Eden Hazard is the first choice while Willian, Schurrle and Salah battle for a starting role on the right side.
Atsu’s performance’s for Vitesse last season make him a leading contender to break into the first team at Stamford Bridge despite the fierce competition.
| Team | Pos | Apps | Goals | Goal Assist | Chance Created / apps | Total Scoring Att / apps | Won Contest / apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Atsu | Vitesse | MF | 27 | 5 | 6 | 2.00 | 2.33 | 2.00 | 2,195 |
| André Schürrle | Chelsea | FW | 30 | 8 | 2 | 0.97 | 1.90 | 0.63 | 1,326 |
| Willian | Chelsea | MF | 25 | 4 | 2 | 2.56 | 1.80 | 1.52 | 1,677 |
| Mohamed Salah | Chelsea | MF | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0.90 | 2.10 | 1.60 | 500 |
The Ghanaian got more assists than Schurrle, Willian or Salah and also had more shots on goal as well as more successful take-ons per game.
Salah only made ten appearances but a true comparison can be drawn between Schurrle, Willian and Atsu with the latter more than capable of making an impact under Mourinho next season.
Atsu’s future remains unclear but another loan spell looks likely next season, though another solid display in Ghana’s game against Mourinho’s native Portugal could see him earn a place in The Blues first team come August.
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