Why Chelsea should re-sign former academy graduate Boga
According to Spanish publication Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea could now re-sign former academy graduate Jeremie Boga.
The Ivory Coast international was sold by the Blues to Italian outfit Sassuolo in the summer of 2018 for a fee of around £3.5million. The youngster is now available for the same price after they had inserted a bargain buy-back clause in his contract.
Boga had left the East London club after making just one appearance for them under then manager Antonio Conte. The pacey winger had played just 18 minutes for the Blues after starting against Burnley but was substituted quickly after Gary Cahill received the marching orders early in the match.
Since then, he has never featured in a match for the Blues and spent most of his time on loan at clubs such as Rennes, Granada and Birmingham City.
He was not much of a success at any of these clubs. However, since moving to Serie A he has shrugged off all doubts regarding his potential and has developed into one of their key players.
The 22-year-old attacker has been one of the revelations of the season in Serie A this season, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists from a total of 14 matches across all competitions.
His performances over the last 18 months have caught the eyes of Spanish giants Barcelona, who are eyeing a move for the young winger, the report claims. The Catalonians have upped their interest in the Ivorian and have already sent their chiefs to meet the Sassuolo hierarchy, the Sport claims.
However, Chelsea who are on the lookout for a new winger could now make use of this opportunity and hijack the deal, with the buyback option still existing in Boga’s contract.
The Blues, meanwhile, are in dire need of a winger after letting star man Eden Hazard move to Real Madrid last summer. Though they have Christian Pulisic, Chelsea miss somebody of Hazard’s mould.
They need a player who can score consistently and also offer creativity to their attack. Having said that, Boga, who now has 4 goals and 2 assists from just 13 league games this season for Sassuolo, seems to be a perfect fit for that role.
Moreover, Willian’s contract is set to expire this coming summer, having spent more than 6 seasons at Stamford Bridge. Veteran winger Pedro, on the other hand, has fallen down the pecking order and is way past his prime.
Though Boga lacks experience, he would be a bargain buy for Chelsea, who have recently seen young academy graduates like Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomari and Reece James flourish in the top-flight.
Verdict
In Boga, Chelsea have a great opportunity at hand as he could be brought back to London for a cheap price.
Read more:
- Why a new deal for Tomori is a step in the right direction for Chelsea
- Why signing Callum Wilson would make Chelsea a lethal force
- Why Chelsea would benefit by cashing in on veteran winger Pedro
With Stamford Bridge being a familiar territory, it would not take much time for the former Chelsea academy player to adjust to the new life at the club.