The Story Thus Far-
Letting go of their star players has haunted Chelsea when they have seen the progress they have made with other rival clubs, some of these names include Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata and now add Ryan Bertrand to the list. However, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte plans on bringing back the latter name to the club that once let him go.
Bertrand joined Chelsea in 2005 where he was signed for just £125,000 from Gillingham but made just 28 appearances for the Blues in 10 seasons, having been loaned out almost every season to another club across England.
The left back was then let go by Chelsea to Southampton in 2015 for a fee of £10m where he has accomplished himself as a regular left-back and become a formidable outlet for the south-coast club on the left-hand side of the pitch.
Southampton have priced Bertrand at £30m with Manchester City also in consideration, though the west London outfit seem to be more keen on adding him to their squad once again.
He won the 2012 Champions League with Chelsea when he made his debut in the final against Bayern.
The England international has been consistent and has developed into a solid left back that Chelsea now wish they hadn’t sold.
Bertrand started 28 league games in a smashing last season with Southampton as he managed to notch up four assists and at 27, he is on the cusp of peaking at his career and
Chelsea could be the major team that he could re-join as Antonio Conte is showing keen interest in him.
However, it is likely that Bertrand could go back to sitting on the bench, with a world-class Chelsea squad that won the Premier League last season.
At Stamford Bridge, Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicuetta provide stiff competition at a starting berth for Bertrand.
The modern-day full-back is described to have special features in terms of attacking and defending who is composed on the ball and able to retain possession.
His pace allows him to make overlapping runs on the flanks and with his cracking deliveries into the box; he is a huge threat for the opposing full-backs.
Bertrand is also a tenacious tackler and wins the ball back for his team-mates on several occasions due to his physicality and understanding of the game.
Deal Or No Deal?
A recent story suggests that Conte has now shifted his attention towards bringing the 27 year old England international back to Stamford Bridge, after the Alex Sandro deal seems to have stalled for now.
The left-back who left the Blues in 2015, after a successful loan spell with the Saints is now said to be on Conte’s list of candidates, whom he wants at west London in the days to come.
The Italian manager wants to add a few more stars to his current squad, as he looks to make a lasting impression in the Champions League and his team will look to defend the league title as well.
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