Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has met midfielder Trevoh Chalobah to inform the midfielder that he will be kept in the squad for the rest of the season.
Brought in during the preseason to make up the numbers, Chalobah has been a revelation for Chelsea. He excelled in the Super Cup victory over Villarreal and then followed it up with a world of one goal in his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace.
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Initially, he had expected to go on loan while Chelsea pursued Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, but Goal notes that Tuchel has changed and has now personally informed the 22-year-old that he will be in and around the squad for the rest of the season.
Not only has he removed Chalobah from the loan list, but Tuchel has also ordered that contract talks be initiated with the kid – whose current contract has only two years left to run.
What this means for the Blues’ hunt for Kounde is not clear. Chelsea had hoped to add a new midfielder this summer but have instead given that extra place to the Chalobah, which means there is no room for a new face as it looks.
Frenchman Kurt Zouma continues to be strongly linked to an exit, with West Ham and Tottenham both designated as freers, but whether his departure alone would be enough to trigger a move for Kounde remains in the air.
With Chalobah left, Chelsea currently have six natural midfielders on the books – Zouma, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Ethan Ampadu are the others – and right-back Cesar Azpilicueta also sees regular minutes in that position.
Chelsea are keen on Kounde / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
At Ampadu, the Welshman played a limited role during the pre-season and has yet to play this year, but Tuchel still plans to keep him and values his ability to play both in defense and in midfield highly.
It is also about sorting out 22-year-old Malang Sarr’s situation. The Frenchman returned from a mixed loan with Porto this summer but has not yet played a real role under Tuchel and there are no rumors whether it is to stay at the club or lend again.
