With so many faults from defence last season, you can’t help but think Chelsea may need more defenders. Well, they’ve been banned from signing any players from the next two transfer windows, so their only option is to promote youth. The club is in luck because in Fikayo Tomori they have just the defender to help plug some of the gaps that proved constant occurrences last season.
The experienced trio of David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen have all failed to perform consistently to the levels expected of them throughout their Stamford Bridge careers. Trusting them in the upcoming campaign will be foolish of the potentially incoming Lampard, so to turn to a player whom he managed for the entirety of last season makes the world of sense.
The £6.35 million-rated Tomori was an almost ever-present for Derby County last season, building up an enormous amount of trust from manager Frank Lampard. Tomori only missed one Championship game out every game Derby played in all competitions. That is an outstanding achievement for a youngster in a league as competitive as the Championship, and it will have increased both Tomori’s confidence and his football ability in the process.
Blocks and tackles seem to be the bread and butter of Tomori’s game as a defender. The defender finished in the top three for both statistics in the Derby team last season. The England youth international also has searing pace, and with Chelsea’s defence showing a lack of that throughout last season, it would be a welcome addition for the new incoming Chelsea manager.
Luiz, Christensen, and Rudiger have all shown faults in their game throughout their Chelsea careers. Whilst Tomori is young, he built up a huge amount of experience when he helped Derby reach the Championship play-off final. Having won Derby’s player of the year award for last season, the 21-year-old deserves his chance at the centre of Chelsea’s defence, and he’ll surprise many with just how good he is.
