"Right move for him, but not for Chelsea" - William Gallas says Blues let go of player who could have improved Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo
Former Chelsea defender William Gallas recently stated that among the scores of players who left Stamford Bridge last year, Mateo Kovacic's departure hit the Blues the hardest.
Kovacic joined the English outfit initially on loan from Real Madrid in 2018 but later signed a five-year contract with the Blues. The central midfielder had a tumultuous time under then-gaffer Maurizio Sarri but found his groove under Frank Lampard.
Despite a few good performances here and there, Kovacic remained an underachiever. His stint was also plagued with several injuries. However, he played an instrumental role in helping Chelsea win the Champions League final against Manchester City, defeating them 1-0.
Interestingly, the Croatian had won Champions League titles before, but he played in the final for the first time in the game against City. He was brought on as an 80th-minute substitute, replacing Mason Mount.
Mauricio Pochettino saw several players leave but also saw the arrival of scores of young players, including midfielders Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. Despite being a regular starter under the Argentine gaffer, Caicedo is yet to find his rhythm as he looks out of place more often than not. As for the World Cup winner, he's missed most of the games this season due to injuries and will only be seen in action next season.
Gallas believes a young Chelsea midfield could've learnt a lot from an experienced midfielder like Kovacic and would've bloomed in his shade. Here's what he told 'Genting Casino' (via Metro.co):
"For Mateo Kovacic, bringing in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez was always going to push him out the door. But those sort of young midfielders need experience alongside them and Kovacic would have provided this, so maybe that was a mistake to let him go as well."
"Maybe he should have stayed for another season, around the young players to help them improve. It was the right move for him, but not for Chelsea."
The Blues have turned their otherwise underwhelming season around in the last few games. Pochettino's men will face Bournemouth on the last day of the season on May 19, Sunday. Coming off the back of four consecutive wins, the west London club will be hoping to make amends and finish with a top-five spot.
A place in the European competition will be a great reward considering the harrowing season they've had.
Gallas believes former Chelsea and current Arsenal player Kai Havertz hasn't done anything to justify his price tag yet
Another player who left Stamford Bridge last year in search of greener pastures was Kai Havertz. The German forward joined Arsenal for a reported fee of £65 million.
He was immediately criticized for his run-of-the-mill performances and for his failure to get more involved in attack. He scored his first Premier League goal in the Gunners' 4-0 win against Bournemouth.
Martin Odegaard requested regular spot-kick taker Bukayo Saka to let the German take the strike instead. Havertz slotted one home, which has served as a motivating factor for the purple patch he currently finds himself in.
In 57 appearances across all competitions, the former Chelsea talisman has managed 15 goals and eight assists. However, Gallas stated that the former Bayer Leverkusen star hasn't done much to justify his price tag yet.
He said:
"Kai Havertz, for me, has had a good season at Arsenal but he still has not scored enough goals to justify his price tag yet. In the north London Derby last month he had a great game, but when you look at the statistics, a player like him should be better and do more. I still don’t think that Chelsea made a mistake to let him go."
Be that as it may, Havertz will be part of the squad that will enter the final matchday of the season as potential Premier League champions. The Gunners face Everton at home and would be hoping that Manchester City drop points in their game against West Ham United.