Nathanial Chalobah is still some way down Chelsea’s pecking order – and joining his former team-mate Scott Sinclair at Celtic could transform his career.
Brendan Rodgers’ connections appear to be paying off for Celtic. After snaring Scott Sinclair to Parkhead last summer, the Northern Irishman appears to be targeting another former player from his early years in charge of Chelsea’s academy.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Rodgers has his eyes on Sunderland striker Fabio Borini. The Italian may have struggled to live up to expectations in a difficult couple of seasons with Liverpool and the Black Cats but Rodgers evidently has plenty of belief in a striker who broke into Chelsea’s first-team after earning rave reviews in his reserve side.
But why stop there? Alongside newly appointed Head of Recruitment Lee Congerton, who worked alongside Rodgers as a youth team coach at Stamford Bridge, they also oversaw the development of one Nathanial Chalobah.
Despite the 22-year-old finally making his Premier League debut in Chelsea colours this season, and going on to feature seven more times under Antonio Conte, Chalobah is still in need of regular first-team football.
And despite his new manager’s willingness to give youth a chance, there are simply too many quality players ahead of him in the pecking order at the champions-in-waiting.
Therefore, after six mixed loan spells in the space of just four seasons, this summer is the perfect time for Chalobah to finally cut his ties with Chelsea. And joining his former youth-team colleagues Sinclair and Borini at Celtic Park could be the making of the 34-time England under-21 international.
Rodgers has demonstrated throughout his managerial career that he has a knack for helping young players fulfil their potential. Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong, Kieran Tierney and co, who have taken their game to the next level under Rodgers at Celtic, would surely agree.
And no doubt Chalobah would thrive under a manager who knows him well.
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