Chelsea’s recent woes in the Premier League appear to be largely reminiscent of their ill-fated campaign last year. While manager Antonio Conte bluntly said his team was ‘only great on paper’ and not on the pitch, following his side’s dismantling at Arsenal, all indications point to a more complex problem at hand. Defenders Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill have endured a difficult start to the season, the latter in particular, being culpable for some of the goals Chelsea have conceded in recent weeks and there is no doubt David Luiz isn’t the long-term replacement for John Terry.
As far as Cesar Azpilicueta is concerned, it is widely believed he is better off playing at right-back even though he has spent the majority of his Chelsea career on the other flank. A creaking Ivanovic should certainly prompt Conte to switch the Spanish defender’s position and instate new signing Marcos Alonso in his place. As has been the case with full-backs arriving at Stamford Bridge, though, there has been precious little to be positive about. Baba Rahman, who was signed from German outfit Augsburg last season, failed to make an impact in the first team and was ultimately shipped out to Schalke 04 on a season-long loan. Prior to that, Brazilian full-back Filipe Luis spent a season in West London and seemed equally incapable of displacing Azpilicueta from his berth.
A lot has changed in the past sixteen months for Chelsea though and there is a growing need for Conte to either rejig the system at the club or orchestrate a shakedown and serve ultimatums to many of the side’s underperformers. Recent reports indicate the summer transfer window left a lot to be desired by the former Juventus boss himself and if they are accurate, it will appear N’Golo Kante was the only transfer target Conte successfully brought to the club. This renders Alonso a player of a relatively lower pedigree in that regard and with supporters demanding Ivanovic to be dropped and Azpilicueta to replace him in a like-for-like change, Chelsea might enter the market this January for another left-back. Betting sites in Canada and in England have rooted for the Tottehnham left back to be the best option for Chelsea.
One name that may attract plenty of eyeballs is Welsh international Ben Davies. The 23-year-old rose to prominence with Swansea City in the Premier League and moved to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2014. Despite having earned praise from his colleagues and bosses, Davies has not made the impact he would have hoped to. A total of 31 league appearances over a two-year spell isn’t exactly earth shattering and considering he made 71 starts for Swansea in a stint that lasted the same duration, it is evident he has a lot of work to do to keep current left-back Danny Rose out of the team.
Davies recently featured for Tottenham in a 1-0 win against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League and made some adventurous strides down his flank. From an attacking viewpoint, he is menacing and possesses plenty of pace and a strong left foot to deliver timely crosses. Defensively, compared to Alonso, Davies made more clearances, successful tackles and blocks on an average last season despite having played fewer games than the Spaniard. However, going forward, Alonso took on far more players than his counterpart and was involved directly in many more goals. These statistics may seem inaccurate considering the two players played in different leagues last season but if a decision has to be made this January, albeit an outlandish one keeping in mind Davies plays for a direct rival, performances will be a key between now and the beginning of the new year.
Going by the experience accumulated at a young age, Davies is a feasible option for Chelsea. Whether Alonso is deemed good enough remains to be seen but in the scheme of things, a big move could well materialize this winter.
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