Loaning Andreas Christensen to Borussia Mönchengladbach for two seasons, Chelsea probably didn’t realise how quickly the Danish defender would develop.
On loan since the summer of 2015, the 20-year-old is expected to return to Stamford Bridge in 2017, and André Schubert, Gladbach’s manager, knows it will be incredibly difficult to stop him.
The Dane has become an integral part of the Bundesliga side over the past two seasons and was even voted the club’s player of the year for the 2015-16 season.
Speaking to the Sky Germany, relayed by RP-Online, Max Eberl, the club’s director of football, explained the chances of Gladbach retaining the ball-playing defender permanently were very slim.
He said: “We probably won’t buy him. It’s going to be a lot of work but there, but I still have hope there’s something I can do. Maybe there’s a different way of keeping him here.”
Eberl also went on to reveal that Christensen told him: “If I can be a Chelsea regular, then I’ll go back”.
Considering the ageing backline currently at Antonio Conte’s disposal, that includes three players and 30 and above (Terry, Cahill and Ivanovic), Christensen could end up being an integral part of the Italian’s future defence.
A trio of Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Luiz/Cahill/Azpilicueta doesn’t sound too bad in a few years time, does it?
