It seems as if Filipe Luis is going to be going back to Atletico Madrid after spending one year in London, having made 15 Premier League appearances and winning the title.
It would be fair to say that the deal did not work out, but that is no fault of Luis'; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many thought that he would be the first choice left-back with Cesar Azpilicueta moving over to the right, but the Spaniard and his counterpart, Branislav Ivanovic, are just too difficult to dislodge.
According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Chelsea could get close to what was paid Atletico for Luis a year ago and they will use that money to fund a move for Augsburg left-back Abdul Baba Rahman. The Ghanian is extremely highly thought of after an excellent season in Germany and clearly has a lot of potential.
The question for Chelsea is whether or not Rahman will be able to offer something different for Luis.
The main problem for Luis was that he wasn’t defensively good enough for Jose Mourinho because of his attacking instincts. In the system that Chelsea play, Azpilicueta’s role is vital because of the work he does covering Eden Hazard. The Belgian is tracking back more than was the case before, but in comparison to Willian he still doesn’t offer his full-back that much protection. Luckily, Azpilicueta is one of the best full-backs defensively and he can sit deeper and cope with the extra pressure.
Furthermore, because of Willian’s defensive work-rate Ivanovic will push forward, and almost act as another forward at times, which means that the opposite full-back has to be prepared to sit back and become a third centre-half. Azpilicueta perfectly understands this role, and it is this understanding that saw him get into the team originally ahead of Ashley Cole.
Looking at the stats, Rahman beats both the Chelsea full-backs in terms of the number of interceptions made per 90 minutes, and scores well for clearances and tackling, which will encourage Mourinho. However, one of the biggest criticisms levelled at the Ghanian has been his poor positioning. This is something that is absolutely fundamental to the role that Azpilicueta plays. Given the amount of defensive work Azpilicueta has to do, Rahman simply cannot afford to be caught out of position.
What’s more Rahman’s main strength last season was going forward with his impressive crossing ability. Like Luis, he created more chances than Azpilicueta per 90 and his crossing would definitely help the likes of Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy. However, if Ivanovic offers that on the same flank then surely Rahman is going to have the same problems as Luis.
Of course Rahman is just 21 years old and under Mourinho he could develop this side of the game, after all there are few better coaches to help players excel defensively. With Azpilicueta remaining the first-choice, Rahman could be brought in slowly. But then, if that is the plan there may be a better option in the academy.
17- year-old Jay DaSilva recently put pen to paper on his first professional contract and he is extremely highly thought of by the club’s coaching staff. Like so many young full-backs, DaSilva excels offensively but if Mourinho wants a player he can mould into his ideal defender than DaSilva seems the ideal option. He is at the age where he will be absorbing a lot of information, and training with Chelsea as Azpilicueta’s understudy could help him fulfil his potential.
Some may argue that the reasoning for bringing in Rahman is that Ivanovic will start slowing down and eventually Azpilicueta will switch over to the right. However, that doesn’t neglect the fact that Hazard still won’t cover and a Mourinho left-back will need to be more defensive than offensive.
Rahman has a lot of potential, but it’s hard to envisage that he is going to be able to fulfil exactly what Mourinho wants from a full-back. He’s just too attacking and although he could potentially work with Hazard the team would be at risk defensively. The Chelsea boss would be far better off looking at DaSilva for a long-term solution.
SOURCE: Squawka news