Chelsea has been home to quite a few extraordinary talents over the years. Players who came in early in their careers and left their mark on the club by winning a ton of silverware. But they seem to have lost all that in recent years.
Most of the Blues’ recent signings have failed to convert talent into results. BlueCo’s transfer policy of building a team for the future by constantly signing youngsters has seemingly been unsuccessful so far, with the club ending another season without winning any major trophy.
Last summer, Alejandro Garnacho was brought in from Manchester United in order to add some flair to the Blues’ left flank, but the Argentine’s career at Stamford Bridge could be heading for an end already. Jamie Gittens has not been any better either, spending a good portion of the season out injured and not making much of an impact when available.
Chelsea linked with a move for Mika Godts of Ajax
The Blues have reportedly(via Si Phillips) identified highly talented Belgian winger, Mika Godts, as a potential addition to the left flank following his brilliant season at Ajax.
The 20-year-old winger has certainly made a name for himself in the Dutch Eredivisie this season. He has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions for his club, even though Ajax finished fifth in the league, 28 points behind champions PSV!
Godts’ seems to be a player with all the tools to succeed in modern football. Dribbling with pace, cheeky tricks, solid finishing from both inside and outside the box, you name it, and the Belgian has delivered that this season.
Could Godts be the next Eden Hazard?
More than a decade ago, one such Belgian winger was brought in from French side Lille and the rest is history. A 21-year-old Eden Hazard came into the Chelsea side back in the summer of 2012 and is still a fan favourite at the Bridge despite leaving the club back in 2019.
Hazard, who has retired since then, made 352 appearances for the Blues. He scored a total of 110 goals and provided 88 assists during his stay at the club.
Such was his impact on the Premier League that he ended up in the Hall of Fame right after retiring. He was just 34 years of age at the time.
Could Godts replicate him? Well, the first thing that stands out about him is his elite finishing, at least this season. He has scored 17 times from an xG of 10.91. He is top of the Eredivisie for wingers when it comes to successful dribbles as well, but is not as efficient as Hazard, as he completes only 46.7% of them. That is one area where he will need to improve if he wants to emulate the Chelsea icon.
Chelsea face immense competition for the winger
Just like Hazard, bringing in Godts will definitely not be easy as other Premier League giants like Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs are also believed to be interested in signing the youngster, alongside Barcelona, who have a pretty good relationship with the Dutch side in terms of transfers.
BlueCo certainly will have some convincing to do, as their chances of playing in the top tiers of European competitions might have come to an end with their defeat in the FA Cup final to Manchester City last Saturday. It makes it more difficult to attract top talent in the summer.
But with Xabi Alonso being appointed as the Blues’ manager for the upcoming season, Godts might get convinced about being a part of the long-term plans of the club. But regular playing time could be a top priority for the youngster to join the Blues.