Schalke 04, Chelsea in discussions over Baba Rahman

Baba Rahman has been sidelined since January after suffering a knee ligament injury while playing for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations. With minimum recovery times measured in many months, if not years, for such injuries, Baba was not expected to play a part for any team, either Chelsea or his then-loan club Schalke 04, for most of 2017. Recent reports of the recovery not going ideally only added to that prognosis.

But now, Schalke 04 are back in with potential interest for the left wing-back, though still contingent on how his recovery is going.

“We are in talks with the player, his advisor and Chelsea. Ultimately, it is about when Baba will be able to play again. No decision has yet been made.”

-Christian Heidel, Schalke 04 director; source: PA via Sky

Baba’s time at Chelsea has not quite lived up to his billing and price tag, though he’s still young and if he recovers well for this injury, he has the talent to make it in the Premier League. He’s also had plenty of bad luck in terms of timing, as last summer he was sent out on loan before the team made the switch to a system that could’ve utilized his talents better, and now when we’re so desperate for a backup to Marcos Alonso, he’s not able to contribute for several more months, at best.

If Baba does go back out on loan before the transfer deadline either this month or January, he could perhaps get another look-in next summer.