REVEALED: How Tuchel can use AFCON to complete Samuel Chukwueze scouting mission after Marina latest 2020 decision
As we all know, the Africa Cup of Nations is usually seen as a negative to most Premier League clubs who always suffer with the losses of key stars.
However, Chelsea will be losing Edouard Mendy for a few weeks as he and Senegal look to dethrone current holders Algeria in a competition that will be taking place in Cameroon.
Hakim Ziyech will not be jetting off with Morocco due to his fall out with head coach Vahid Halilhodžić that ultimately benefits the Blues in the short-term with the winger’s availability for the upcoming games.
Despite the loss of key stars that could prove detrimental on results, there is one main huge plus to seeing these types of tournaments taking place in the domestic season.
In conjunction with the January transfer window, the aforementioned tournament gets underway midway through this month meaning there could be possible chances for Chelsea to scout the latest batch of African stars that could be part of the squad foundation in the near future.
Therefore, with all Chelsea’s transfer needs taken into account, football london takes a look at some stars that may be scouted during this international festival of football.
The Super Eagles international is a name well known to many Chelsea fans due to previous talks of Marina Granovskaia taking a punt on the Villarreal winger.
In 2020, the west Londoners were touted to make a shock £70million move for Villarreal’s number 11 but instead they decided to sign both Christian Pulisic and Ziyech in different transfer windows.
With both now doubtful of having long-term Chelsea careers due to their inabilities to settle in well to Thomas Tuchel’s set up, signing a winger could be on the agenda and maybe then does the 22-year-old come back into the equation.
Unai Emery is a big fan of Chukwueze and the winger in question has scored five goals in all competitions and has registered the sixth highest goals to shots record per 90 (0.25) in La Liga so far this season, as per FBref.
Chelsea fans will first be able to see the La Liga winger in action first against Egypt on January 11- most games will be shown on Sky Sports as they have the rights to this year’s competition.
After the Group D fixture against Mohamed Salah and co., the Super Eagles then face Sudan and Guinea-Bissau to round off the group stages.
Sebastien Haller: An outside shot of a player who could replace Romelu Lukaku if he were to leave the club is former West Ham man Sebastian Haller.
The Ivorian endured a terrible two years in east London and then eventually completed his £21million move back to Netherlands to join Dutch giants Ajax.
It’s safe to say he hasn’t looked back since with the tall striker producing masterclass performances in the Champions League for Erik Ten Hag’s side in this season’s group stages.
In all competitions, Haller has racked up a total of 28 goal contributions so far this season in only 24 appearances which represents a stunning goals per 90 rate in the Dutch league this season of 0.76, which is the third highest in the Dutch top flight, as per FBref.com.
With the Premier League experience the 27-year-old has gained during his short spell at West Ham, coupled with the development has had undergone under Ten Hag’s guidance, Ajax’s number 22 could be an outside shout as to who could replace Lukaku if he was to be granted his Inter Milan return wish.
Haller, who will be representing the Ivory Coast, will be in action first on January 12 when the Ivorian’s take on Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group E fixture.
They then face Sierra Leone before rounding off their group stage campaign against the difficult Algeria.