Well, this kind of sucks.
It was reported in December that Chelsea had included an option in Aaron Anselmino’s loan to recall him in January if they so desired, and today, five days before the transfer deadline, they have opted to do so.
This is a pretty significant blow to BVB, who have had success with Anselmino on the field. That said, he has struggled for fitness, and has had limited minutes, but in his time on the pitch he has shown himself to be a mature-beyond-his-years, impactful central defender. There have been growing calls from within the BVB fanbase to explore an option to make permanent Anselmino’s loan, despite there being no buy option for BVB at the end of the term. That term has come to a premature end, however, and any deal for Anselmino in the summer will be based on a much more limited pool of data in Black and Yellow.
Why are Chelsea recalling Anselmino? I dunno. What, do you come to this sports blog for sports information?
I kid, I kid.
I would suspect Chelsea’s new head coach, Liam Rosenior, is either dissatisfied with his current defensive core, or feels the line is too thin with current injuries. Since taking over, he has rotated Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, and Wesley Fofana in a four-man chain. Levi Colwill is out with an ACL tear, and Tosin Adarabioyo has a thigh problem, but looks on track to return in a couple weeks. To be fair, Wesley Fofana is always moments away from his next injury, so I could see making the case that the defensive cover is not watertight. Still, Chelsea have been pretty stable at the back since Rosenior took over (despite shipping three goals to Arsenal).
Ultimately, this is another blow against Sebastian Kehl, who has come under increasing scrutiny this season for the quality of the squad. BVB are now short a defender, and will need to act quickly if they intend to replace him. Niki Süle has been reliable since returning from injury, as has Emre Can, but both are out of contract in the summer. Anselmino’s loan seemed a good way to test trial a significant future replacement, but that opportunity is now ended.
Do BVB need to sign cover at center-back before the winter window ends? Let us know in the comments.
