Antonio Rüdiger is set to stay at Chelsea, which means that we still have five center backs in the first-team squad, and that’s generally seen as one too many — case in point: Rüdiger has yet to feature a single minute this season, even as the other four have rotated through.
So if Rüdiger’s staying, could someone else go?
All of Emerson, Alonso and Rudiger expected to stay at Chelsea.
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) October 5, 2020
West Ham are seriously targeting the opportunity to get Fikayo Tomori on loan, amid this backdrop.
Frank Lampard was initially happy to keep him too, blocking possible loan options to Everton & Rennes. #CFC
Apparently that’s what West Ham, who were rejected by Rüdiger, are banking on in the last couple hours of the 2020 summer transfer window, and they’re reportedly targeting young Fikayo Tomori. Tomori was heavily linked with Everton earlier, but that track took a u-turn when it became apparent that Lampard would rather jettison Rüdiger than the 22-year-old Academy product.
Tomori looks to be our latest target after Rudigers move to spurs has fallen through.
— ExWHUemployee (@ExWHUemployee) October 5, 2020
Sending Tomori out on loan isn’t really ideal, but it’s perhaps better for his career in the long-term than scrapping for leftover minutes at Chelsea this season. He was going to leave last summer, too, before David Luiz’s departure changed things in the final days. Now, it looks like the situation may be playing out in the opposite manner.