Chelsea have decided to keep Trevoh Chalobah at Stamford Bridge this season after his impressive start to the new campaign.
The 22-year-old was expected to leave the club on another loan deal before the end of the transfer window on August 31, but his array of performances in pre-season, as well as his start to competitive life at Chelsea , have put a temporary stop to that plan.
Although he’s traditionally played in midfield throughout the academy, Chalobah is a mobile and technically gifted player who has starred in the centre-back role under Thomas Tuchel.
Following a fine performance in the UEFA Super Cup final win over Villarreal, Chalobah stepped up with a man of the match display in the Blues’ Premier League opening weekend 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The Englishman even scored his first senior goal after he sent a low driven shot from outside the box into the bottom right-hand corner against Palace.
Now, according to the Athletic, Chalobah will remain with the Chelsea first team this season after being informed that he is part of head coach Tuchel’s plans.
The report adds that Tuchel spoke to Chalobah at Cobham on Thursday to confirm that he had seen enough in recent weeks to be convinced that he has an immediate role to play at Stamford Bridge.
Judging by the trust the German boss has in Chalobah, the decision could lead Chelsea to pull out of a deal for France international Jules Kounde, which in turn could save the Blues up to £60million.
Kounde has reportedly been Tuchel’s number one defensive target this window, but after constant disagreements over a fee with Sevilla – who would like a bid in the region of €60-70million (£51.4-£60million) – the west London outfit have made no progress on a potential deal.
There is still time left in the transfer window to make the Kounde deal happen, but it seems as though the European champions have a talent who’s more than capable of stepping up like a new signing.
