EXCLUSIVE: Van Ginkel takes up Chelsea bad boy mantle with Mata departure looming

By all indications, in a sudden, if perhaps not entirely unexpected development, Juan Mata looks set to leave Chelsea Football Club.  His departure will leave a gaping hole of course, mostly in our hearts but also in our lineups benches.  Most importantly, what everybody wants to know is who will replace him, Surrey's Most Wanted, as the most notorious bad boy at Chelsea now?

Are we going to fall back on the old guard again or are we going to have to rely on Eden Hazard for this one, too (again)?  Or is this why we're signing Mohamed Salah?  Of course not!  Don't be silly.  Why would we, when we already have a top prospect ready to step up and prove himself in the limelight.

Enter Marco van Ginkel.  What, you didn't think he was just doing a simple knee rehab in all his spare time, did you?  Oh no, he was getting the full Chelsea immersion therapy.  And earlier on Thursday, he passed his first test.

Stars tweet reactions and mugshot jokes after Justin Bieber's arrest: http://t.co/ElmqHzH8hS pic.twitter.com/QKwNKUfZjc

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) January 23, 2014

Hands-on learning at its finest.

As Marco let it slip in one of his first interviews, many at Chelsea just call him Justin, and it looks like that's the false name he gave to the authorities as well.  Well done, Marco, that's an extra class B misdemeanor on top of the DUI charges.  Such a quick learner, that Van Ginkel!  So much better than that chump Mata, who took a full two years to get with the program.

Then again, as Jose would tell you, Mata just isn't all that good in adapting to new things.