Why Bournemouth must make a January swoop for Gary Cahill
According to the Guardian, Chelsea are ready to let Gary Cahill leave the club on loan when the transfer window reopens in January.
The 32-year-old defender has been starved of game time this season, managing just 21 minutes of Premier League football and has failed to make the bench for half of Chelsea’s 12 matches.
Gary Cahill, however, has started five matches in the Carabao Cup and the Europa League, but it’s clear that he has no future at the Stamford Bridge under new manager Maurizio Sarri.
With Gary Cahill set to leave Chelsea in January for regular playing time, should Bournemouth offer him a Premier League lifeline? They should.
Bournemouth’s fantastic start to the new Premier League campaign has seen them occupy the sixth position on the table. The Cherries have been excellent going forward, scoring 21 goals so far in 12 league games. Defensively, they have been decent but not spectacular.
Nathan Ake and Steve Cook have forged a strong partnership at the heart of Bournemouth defence this season. But an injury to either Ake or Cook would leave Eddie Howe in trouble as the team will be left with only one central defender in Simon Francis, who has been largely used at right-back this term.
So adding quality as well as depth to the squad is important if Bournemouth are to achieve a place in the Europa League.
That would make the signing of Gary Cahill so much more important for the Cherries. Cahill will turn 33 in December and while his best days are probably behind him, he remains a very good centre-back.
He would bring some much-needed leadership to Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth and would also add depth to the squad.
Cahill has been a serial winner with Chelsea, having won two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup.
Strong in the air and powerful in the tackle, the former England international is also good with the ball at his feet and is capable of initiating attacks from the back.
Cahill is on the wrong side of 30 and clearly has shown signs of slowing down, but the wealth of experience and the winning mentality he would bring to Bournemouth would be simply priceless.
Hence, the veteran Englishman could still be a useful acquisition for a side lacking squad depth at the back.
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Bournemouth must make a move to sign Cahill on loan in January.