Thomas Tuchel's inventive Trevoh Chalobah plan offers Chelsea priceless Declan Rice alternative

The breakthrough of Trevoh Chalobah in 2021 is a great case study for several reasons. It further demonstrated the excellent talent coming through Chelsea's academy and showcased why the loan system, if used properly, can give young players enough experience to help them adapt to the demands of senior football.

Chalobah also proved that you cannot judge a player purely on where they have been on loan. In the 2020/21 season, the defender was with Lorient in Ligue 1, who managed to escape relegation. They were not pulling up trees, playing in Europe or possessing many names Chelsea fans would know, although Chalobah got over 2,000 minutes and 29 appearances in one of Europe's top five leagues.

He came back mature and ready to make a quick impression. As soon as he did, the need for the club to sign Jules Kounde lessened and Thomas Tuchel had an internal solution to add to his options.

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The same dilemma applies this summer but this time in central midfield. Chelsea fans have been hoping to see fresh investment in this area for several years, and with both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho entering the final year of their contracts, the need for a revamp is clear.

However, with one of the club's recent targets Aurelien Tchouameni all but signed as a Real Madrid player and the rumoured fee to acquire Declan Rice going beyond £100m from West Ham, this may turn out to be another summer when little actually happens.

To some, this is quite baffling, and it is little surprise why given how clear the issues have been for some time. Be that form, a lack of a certain profile or injuries, the centre of midfield was an area with consistent headaches