The departure of Fikayo Tomori remains one of the most debated what-ifs for Chelsea, particularly given his meteoric rise since moving to AC Milan, and Thomas Tuchel has added to this.
While Fikayo Tomori initially flourished under Frank Lampard, his opportunities evaporated following Thomas Tuchel’s arrival in 2021, leading to a permanent £25m exit.
Statistically, Tomori has since evolved into one of Europe’s most complete central defenders, winning a Scudetto and putting the current batch of centre-backs at Stamford Bridge to shame.
And what doesn’t help is the fact that Chelsea are going through a bit of a defensive crisis right now, with goals being leaked left, right and centre.
Despite selling him, Thomas Tuchel is liking what he’s now seeing from Tomori.
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Thomas Tuchel on former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Thomas Tuchel explains his U-turn on Fikayo Tomori
During a recent England press conference, Thomas Tuchel was asked about his history with Tomori and why he has finally integrated the defender into his Three Lions setup.
‘Fikayo Tomori, a player that you’ve been tracking since you joined Chelsea. Many England fans ask, why is he not involved? Why have you brought him back?’
“Well, I had many phone calls with Fikayo over the last year and I kept encouraging to keep on going, that he’s close and he’s still on the long list. I am very impressed with Fikayo’s ability to defend, which is, of course, a key characteristic for a defender.
“And in these days, he can be very valuable, and of course, in knockout football. So he loves to defend, he’s fast, he’s aggressive and he’s strong in duels.”
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Chelsea Training Session and Press Conference
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Would Tomori get into the current Chelsea side?
The question of whether Fikayo Tomori would walk back into Liam Rosenior’s starting eleven is increasingly easy to answer given Chelsea’s recent defensive lapses.
With the club currently sixth and struggling for consistency at the back, Tomori’s recovery speed and aggressive 1v1 defending would arguably make him the first name on the teamsheet.
While the club has invested heavily in younger profiles, Tomori offers the perfect blend of Cobham soul and European experience. However, with Milan valuing their star man at nearly triple what Chelsea sold Tomori for, a return remains extremely unlikely.
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