LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Danny Drinkwater of Chelsea looks dejected following his side's defeat during the FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 5, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
As Daily Mail can confirm, Danny Drinkwater has basically put up a video of his career best moments to find suitors in January so that he can leave Chelsea. It looks like a ‘come-get-me’ plea from a player who has become a forgotten man at the club.
Drinkwater, 30, is a product of Manchester United’s youth system but never made a senior appearance for the Red Devils. During his time at Old Trafford, he was sent on loan spells to Huddersfield, Cardiff City, Watford and Barnsley FC before joining Leicester City permanently in January 2012.
He immediately established himself as a key player of the squad and also helped the Foxes get promoted to the Premier League in the 2014/15 season. A year later, he played a significant role under Claudio Ranieri in helping the Midlands club lift the Premier League title.
A year after winning the league, he was signed by Chelsea for £35m. However, it was very evident that he was surplus to requirements at the club as he hardly featured under Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri. He was then sent on loan twice last season but nothing changed. Currently, the midfielder is back at Chelsea and has a contract until 2022.
Both the club and the player find themselves in an awkward marriage with each other and are having problems parting ways. Chelsea have an overstocked squad which has no place for Drinkwater. Whereas the player, who has played just 7 games in the last 2 seasons, is having a hard time attracting potential buyers.
It’s not just now that Drinkwater has been surplus to requirements. Since his arrival, he was always seen as a squad option. He has made only 23 appearances for the Blues over the course of his stay. As Chelsea went on investing in midfielders, Drinkwater kept going down the pecking order.
It has come to the point where he has had to play for the U-23s this season just to stay fit. Nonetheless, he will find it very hard to find a buyer given the factors at play. He is 30 and has hardly had first-team action in the last season or two.
Chelsea should try their best to offload the player as he is costing the club £100k per week in wages. It would also benefit the player as he would get a fresh start after a long time.
