What former Chelsea boss Mauricio Sarri did to Gary Cahill can only be described as disrespect of the highest order. The Chelsea captain made just eight appearances in all competition under Sarri and given Chelsea’s struggles in the centre of defence, it’s no wonder the West London club decided to cut their losses with the stubborn Italian.
According to Sport Mediaset, Antonio Conte is targetting a reunion with Cahill at Inter Milan. Chelsea mustn’t let this happen, as the Englishman can still be a valuable asset for the club.
Chelsea conceded a mind-boggling 56 goals in all competitions last season, at a rate of just under one goal per game. So, it remains to be seen how Sarri looked at performances like 4-0 and 6-0 defeats away to Bournemouth and Manchester City, respectively, and decided not to give the 33-year-old a chance.
With Cahill out of contract at the end of June, whoever the next Chelsea manager is he must ensure he keeps the England international. With there seemingly being no incomings for the next two transfer windows, losing Cahill will be detrimental for the next Chelsea manager, especially with the lack of options at the back
Chelsea’s central options are paper-thin, with only Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and David Luiz as the senior centre-backs at the club. Just three fit senior centre-backs is a disaster for Chelsea, and with the car crash of a defender in David Luiz at the club, keeping Cahill becomes that much more crucial.
Luiz endured a nightmare season with Chelsea last year, despite the club reaching two cup finals and finishing in the top four. The Brazilian international was at the centre of numerous horrible defeats for the club, including Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium. The low point for Luiz proved to be Tottenham’s third goal, where the 32-year-old committed himself and was easily beaten by goalscorer Heung Min-Son. The goal exposed an apparent lack of experience for a centre-back who has won both the Premier League and Champions League. The Chelsea centre-back’s performances were enough to convince Brazil manager Tite not to include Luiz in his final 23-man squad for the Copa America.
Chelsea have a clear lack of options at Centre-back, and with the options, they do have, they need better players at the club. Gary Cahill endured a frustrating campaign last year, however, he easily walks back into the centre of Chelsea’s defence. The next manager should retain his services ahead of a challenging season for the west London club next year.
