Davide Zappacosta is a name you might remember from a time long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. By which I mean six months.
The former Torino FC right back is one of the several questionable and disappointing (for many reasons) signings made by Chelsea over the last couple years, who looked to be done with the Blues after a couple nondescript seasons when he left for AS Roma on loan in late August. The move seemed a perfect solution for all involved: Roma got a player they wanted, Zappacosta found a situation where he was needed, Chelsea got some wages off the books, and opened up a spot for Reece James, who has certainly not disappointed.
Zappacosta’s loan was initially for just six months, as a failsafe should anything go wrong with James and his surgically repaired ankle, but was extended to a full season in January despite the 27-year-old rupturing his ACL in October.
At the time, Roma had continued to treat the player as one of their own, despite a grand total of 12 minutes played, and seemed intent of turning the loan into a permanent transfer, as they had hinted at from the very beginning.
However, according to recent reports, those intentions aren’t so clear anymore. While Zappacosta still wants to stay, obviously, his agent is being called into action to ensure that actually happens. That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, whose report paints a more positive picture than Il Messaggero’s (via Sport Witness), who claim that Roma have already decided to send the right back, right back to Chelsea at the end of the season.
There’s still a chance Zappacosta plays a few games this season, so perhaps that will change things once again. But right now, he might have to go back to drawing board in the summer, as Chelsea look to escape from under the obligation of the remaining two years on his contract.