Do Chelsea still need Michael Essien?

Published on: 03 January 2014
Do Chelsea still need Michael Essien?
Michael Essien

 

Michael Essien’s agent has hinted that the Blues midfielder could return to France this winter.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is an icon. The Ghana international midfielder has bossed Premier League matches ever since making his £24.4m move from French side Lyon back in 2005.

The fee at the time made Essien Chelsea’s most expensive transfer ever, beating the fee paid for Didier Drogba, but the midfielder was well worth it. Essien went on to help the Blues win the Premier League title twice, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup in 2007 and the Uefa Champions League in 2012.

However, the midfielder this term has mainly been used as a back-up for fellow midfielders Ramires and John Obi Mikel, and has subsequently made just two Premier league starts. According to the Guardian, his agent Fabian Piveteau has indicated that his client could well make a return to France during the January transfer window.

"He could leave Chelsea this winter," Piveteau told French radio station RMC."Several major European clubs playing in the Champions League were informed and the situation should settle down within the next 10 days.

"You should know that Michael was not on the list of players who can play in the Champions League with Chelsea, so he is free to play in the competition with another club."

Despite Essien’s lack of game time, the midfielder still represents a calm influence in that Chelsea midfielder and he will become a very important player during the run-in.

Chelsea have really struggled to kill teams off so far this season, and the Blues can’t afford to drop any more valuable points.

During Essien’s limited game time, he has still shown himself to be the most comfortable in possession with an average pass success rate of 90.8%, vital when closing out games.

Additionally, the midfielder has been able to adapt his play to cover the full-back areas, and with the future of Ashley Cole still quite uncertain, it may not be prudent to allow someone with the know-how of Michael Essien to walk away in the midst of a very important time for the club.

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