Why the time is right for Chelsea to sell Davide Zappacosta amidst AS Roma interest?
It is the start of a new era for Chelsea under former midfielder Frank Lampard, however, it hasn’t been all rosy for the Englishman.
The Blues lost their first game of the Premier League season 4-0 to Manchester United and next face Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup final.
Things have been made tougher for the Blues as they sold Eden Hazard and David Luiz this summer, but are unable to sign replacements due to a transfer ban.
Nevertheless, the Blues looked good against United despite the scoreline, and on another day, would have found the back of the net twice.
The defence didn’t cover itself in too much glory on opening day as several mistakes were made.
The Blues cannot buy defenders to fix the problem but one player is being linked with a move to AS Roma.
Davide Zappacosta hasn’t had a great time since joining from Torino, and Corriere dello Sport (h/t Mirror) claims that the Serie A giants are interested in signing the Italian on loan with an option to buy.
The report adds that Zappacosta is interested in returning to Italy and it would not be a bad deal for the Blues to let him leave.
Struggling to make a mark at Stamford Bridge
The 27-year-old hasn’t been able to cement a place in the starting XI and barely featured in the Premier League last season.
Maurizio Sarri did play Zappacosta in the Europa League campaign, but the Italian will find it hard to replace Cesar Azpilicueta as Chelsea’s right-back this season.
The Blues don’t have another recognised senior right-back at the moment and cannot buy one too. However, it makes sense to sell Zappacosta now and get a decent sum for him, rather than keep him on the books and see his value diminish.
A similar problem has already arisen with Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Frenchman spent last season on loan at AC Milan after failing to perform consistently at Stamford Bridge.
Of course, it is difficult seeing the Blues selling Zappacosta unless they have some cover in mind for Azpilicueta.
Lampard seems to have put faith in several youngsters this season and could push a reserve team player to cover for the Spanish right-back.
Fikayo Tomori has played in that position in recent years, and the youngster was one of Chelsea’s most impressive players out on loan last season.
The youngster should play some games this season under Lampard, and could provide some cover for Azpilicueta.
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Verdict
Chelsea need to change things under Lampard and getting rid of players that have no future at the club is a start.
Zappacosta seems to fall under this bracket, and it will be interesting to see if he is sold before the European transfer window ends.