Why Chelsea should beat Liverpool to the signing of Lewis Cook

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Chelsea and Liverpool are set to battle for the signature of Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook.

The 22-year-old, who joined the Cherries for an initial fee of £6m, was sidelined with a serious knee injury until last month but that hasn’t put off potential suitors.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool are monitoring his situation and will consider a bid “should he prove his form and fitness this season” (h/t Daily Mail).

Lewis Cook has made 60 appearances for the south-coast side since moving to the Vitality Stadium in 2016 from Leeds United. Having recovered from a knee injury, the central midfielder is attempting to regain his place in Eddie Howe’s team.

Given that Cook has a contract until the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Bournemouth are in no rush to sell the talented midfielder. Even if he has a long-term contract at Bournemouth, as aforementioned, both Chelsea and Liverpool will only consider tabling an offer should Cook prove his form and fitness.

Chelsea were stung with a two-window embargo by FIFA for breaching rules regarding the registration of Under-18 players.

As things stand, no fresh faces can be welcomed to Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2020. Fortunately for Frank Lampard, he already has an array of talent at his disposal and one of the deepest squads around from to operate this campaign.

The transfer ban has been something of a blessing in disguise for the Blues, as Lampard has gained plaudits for constructing a new-look Chelsea side around promising young English talents such as Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham. And Lewis Cook would perfectly fit the Blues boss’ philosophy.

Cook has just returned from a serious ACL injury and is hoping to soon settle and play regularly for the Cherries. He has four appearances so far since coming back.

The 22-year-old is a central midfielder who has a fantastic technique, flair and passing skills. His ability to find his teammates accurately, be it over a short distance or a long one, makes him such an exciting prospect to have in the middle of the park.

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The Englishman works tirelessly off the ball and has the ability to produce magic at any moment when he has the ball at his feet. He thrives on threading through balls to his team-mates.

The former Leeds United star has the ability to beat a man while venturing forward, whilst knowing the art of breaking the opposition’s play.

Verdict

If Cook proves his form and fitness over the season, Chelsea must do everything possible to beat Liverpool to his signature in the summer of 2020.