Newcastle and Leeds United look set to miss out on Fikayo Tomori because of an ill-timed injury suffered by his Chelsea teammate Andreas Christiansen, as reported by The Sun (7 January, page 49).
While it’s not yet certain how long the Denmark international will spend on the sidelines, a problem Christiansen picked up in December’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa appears serious enough to alter Chelsea’s transfer plans.
Frank Lampard had been expected to send the seldom-seen Tomori out on loan this month to ensure the England international obtained the regular game time required to aid his stuttering development.
Although Newcastle were interested, according to the BBC, Elland Road was the most likely destination for a classy yet commanding central defender who looks perfectly suited to Marcelo Bielsa’s forward-thinking approach.
But, despite playing just 44 minutes of Premier League football throughout 2020/21, Tomori could now be catapulted into Lampard’s first-team plans.
A potential long-term absence for Christiansen will propel the Canada-born 23-year-old up the pecking order, while Tomori could also provide cover for the injured Reece James at right-back.
Fortunately, Lampard remains a fan of an “incredible” young talent who shone during a loan spell with his Derby County side in 2018/19.
Leeds, who have suffered fitness problems of their own with Robin Koch and Diego Llorente on the sidelines, will need to look elsewhere for a new defensive addition.
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