Chelsea’s 2018/19 campaign was a roller-coaster ride. Despite the criticism thrown at Maurizio Sarri, the manager achieved success as he won the Europa League and managed a 3rd place finish in the Premier League behind champions Manchester City and Champions League winners Liverpool.
However, the Italian manager's time at the Stamford Bridge has come to an end after just one season as he was announced as Juventus' new manager after Max Allegri's departure from Turin. This makes the situation tough for the Blues as they have a challenging season ahead.
The biggest challenge for Chelsea is the transfer ban imposed on them. With an aging and underperforming squad along with the departure of their talisman, Eden Hazard, the Blues are in deep water. However, this may prove to be a blessing in disguise because of the abundant young talent present at the club and this season can be the perfect time for these youngsters to burst onto the scene under a new manager.
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We look at 3 youngsters that can step up for Chelsea in the upcoming Premier League season.
1. Tammy Abraham
Since the departure of Diego Costa, Chelsea have struggled up-front despite trying various options. With Gonzalo Higuain and Olivier Giroud past their prime and not playing up to the mark, all eyes will be on youngster Tammy Abraham.
The 21-year-old was in magnificent form last season with Aston Villa in the second tier of English football and played a crucial role in the club's success as they secured promotion to the Premier League 2019/20. The Englishman is quick, good in the air, lethal in front of goal and has been consistent throughout the season scoring a goal every 137 minutes. With 26 goals to his name, the striker was the club’s top scorer this season.
After spending the last couple of years out on loan at various clubs, Abraham is now finally ready to play for the Blues and realise the immense potential he has.
2. Mason Mount
Derby County failed to secure promotion to the Premier League after losing in the Championship Play-off Final to Aston Villa. Nevertheless, under the guidance of Frank Lampard, a lot of youngsters have burst onto the scene this season. One of them is Mason Mount, who was one of the best performers for The Rams.
The 20-year-old blossomed under the English manager this season and has impressed everyone with his technical abilities and impressive performances in the Championship. His pinpoint passing, amazing vision, and excellent distribution have been crucial to Derby’s success. The Chelsea loanee not only possesses brilliant passing abilities but also has a knack for scoring goals as he contributed to 17 goals this season, scoring 11 and creating 6.
With a brilliant run of form behind him, the midfielder will go into next season with high confidence and given his potential and talent, he is destined for success in the top-tier of English football.
3. Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson Odoi is a player who is touted to be the next big thing not only at Chelsea but in world football. The winger has already gathered enough attention as everyone is waiting to see what this exciting young talent has to offer.
After Hazard’s departure, the wing seems to be a concern for Chelsea especially with the underperformance and inconsistency of Willian and Pedro. This sets up an ideal scenario for the 18-year-old to step up and make a name for himself. The youngster possesses incredible pace, flair and can dribble past players with ease.
He started off well after putting in some impressive performances in the pre-season. However, he could not continue his rise as he was denied enough game-time under former manager Maurizio Sarri. Despite his injuries and minimum game-time, the winger performed extremely well and managed to contribute to 13 goals this season- scoring 6 and creating 7.
Now that the Italian manager has left the Blues and joined Juventus, the Chelsea youngster will be hoping for a better scenario next season. It will be exciting to see how the youngster partners with new signing Christian Pulisic on the flanks in the next season.