It was in 2012 that Chelsea secured the signing of center back Andreas Christensen from Brondby IF. According to reports then, The Blues beat the likes of Arsenal, Manchester and Bayern Munich to his signature.
Only 16 at the time, Christensen was a signing for the future at Stamford Bridge. Not long after, the Danish defender found himself a part of Chelsea’s famed youth squad. Along with the likes of Ruben Loftus Cheek, Lewis Baker, Izzy Brown, and Dominic Solanke, Christesen was a part of the Academy’s golden generation
Even in a team full of special talents, Christensen stood out. In 2013, David Luiz posted a photo with him on Facebook saying “he will definitely have a great future”. The biggest compliment came from John Terry in 2014. The club captain remarked ”Believe me, I am sure that he will be a top footballer and one of the future men for Chelsea”.
No longer could Chelsea sleep on his talent. In 2015, he earned a loan move to Borussia Monchengladbach in a two-year deal. The very fact that a Champions League team wanted him at such a young age spoke volumes of his quality.
In the two seasons in Germany, Christensen’s reputation only grew by performing consistently in the League and in Europe. Some of his most impressive display’s came against the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City.
Chelsea fans could barely wait for him to come back. In 2017, Chelsea finally got him back to London as a first team member. Gary Cahill’s opening day red card presented an early opportunity for the Danish defender against Tottenham Hotspur at the Wembley Stadium. Up against the phenomenal Hary Kane, Christensen solid performance impressed one and all.
By the time David Luiz and Antonio Conte fell out in November, Christensen was more than ready to deserve a regular starting spot after proving himself against the likes of Manchester City and A.S Roma.
In the middle of a back three, Andreas Christensen was as solid as a rock. For a few months, his defending was faultless. On the ball, his composure was beyond his years. The feeling around Stamford Bridge was that the heir to John Terry’s throne had arrived.
However, Christensen’s world came crashing down in the first leg against Barcelona. After which, a few more mistakes followed. Ultimately Antonio Conte dropped him for Gary Cahill for the last few games of the season.
The new manager Maurizio Sarri’s preferred centre-back partnership so far has been Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz. Italian coach must eventually show some faith towards the youngster and reintroduce Christensen to the Chelsea starting line up.
