Danny Drinkwater: From Premier League title winner to Chelsea outcast – what has happened to the 35m star?
Danny Drinkwater is Chelsea’s forgotten man. A case as confusing now as it was when he joined.Arriving on deadline day in September 2017, it was the second successive summer Chelsea had splashed out on a midfielder – N’Golo Kante was first.
4Danny Drinkwater is not part of Maurizio Sarri’s plans at ChelseaPerhaps the club and Drinkwater had visions of recreating the relationship he and the energetic Frenchman shared at Leicester City and why not? It worked well enough to win them the Premier League in 2016.But it has not exactly gone quite to plan. Kante has thrived, Drinkwater has not.When deals for Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fell through and Nemanja Matic signed for Manchester United in the 2017 summer transfer window, Chelsea sought a replacement. After applying for a two-hour extension, in came Drinkwater for 35million.
4The midfielder has not played in the Premier League since MarchEyebrows were raised and not just at the inflated price. Did Chelsea really need him when they had two talented players out on loan inRuben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah at Crystal Palace and Watford respectively?When his debut was delayed until October through injury, Drinkwater finally started for Chelsea in the League Cup against Everton.I dont think [the last few months] could have gone any worse, Drinkwater told Chelsea TV after his first appearance. I have been trying to take the positives out of it.”There was something ominous about these words and in the months that followed there was even less to be joyous about.Still not fully fit, Drinkwater declined to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squads for the international friendlies with Germany and Brazil.
4Drinkwater endured a frustrating start to his Chelsea careerIn cameJake Livermore, Eric Dier and Jack Cork. Ironically, it was Loftus-Cheek who was man of the match against the Germans and Southgate has not called upon Drinkwater since.Fast forward a year on and Drinkwater is well and truly on the sidelines. He has started just 12 matches for Chelsea, totalling 522 minutes and has not played a competitive game since a 1-0 loss to Manchester City. That was in March.This season has been even worse under Maurizio Sarri, with a 30 minute cameo in the Community Shield his only action to date. Even in secondary competitions such as the League Cup, where Sarri normally uses his fringe players, the 28-year-old has not had a look in. He didn’t even make the Europa League squad. When he was announced on the bench for the recent win over Derby County there was genuine confusion among those inside Stamford Bridge.If it was not already clear as to where Drinkwater stood under the Italian, he was quickly reminded.“I think the situation is that Drinkwater for me is not suitable for a midfield with two other midfielders. I told him two months ago what I think,” Sarri said.While the temptation to join one of the biggest clubs in the world may have been too great to turn down, Drinkwater only need to look at former team-mate Jamie Vardy, who rejected pastures new and remains the focal point at Leicester.
4Drinkwater should have used the example of Jamie VardyDrinkwater previously had the courage and took the risk to leave Manchester United in order to pursue first-team chances, going on loan before finally settling at the King Power, this is a gamble that looks unlikely to pay off.A Premier League winner and a solid, combative midfielder, Drinkwater should not be spending his prime years rotting on the Chelsea bench and these days a place on that seems a bonus. January can not come quick enough.
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