Why Chelsea must plot a summer swoop for Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook

Back in October 2019, the Daily Mail had claimed that Chelsea were keeping tabs on Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook.

The 23-year-old who joined the Cherries in a £7million deal from Leeds United back in 2016, was the captain of the England teams which won the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and the Toulon Tournament 12 months later.

The midfielder returned to action in September 2019 having been sidelined since December with knee-ligament damage.

The 23-year-old has played 20 games in the Premier League this season. Cook has been one of the rare bright sparks in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Bournemouth, who are currently in the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Chelsea were handed a two-window ban by Fifa in February 2019 for breaching rules on signing young players. While the transfer ban was reduced in December, the Blues were not allowed to sign players during the summer window.

The transfer ban was something of a blessing in disguise for Chelsea, as Frank Lampard has blooded academy products such as Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham. Even Billy Gilmour impressed in a couple of games before the Premier League season was suspended.

With Chelsea signing Hakim Ziyech from Ajax last month, it is pretty clear that the club is planning for the future under Lampard. That being said, Lampard must urge the board to sign Lewis Cook from Bournemouth in the summer.

A product of the Leeds United academy, Cook made 85 appearances for the Yorkshire giants before signing for Bournemouth in 2016. In four seasons with the Cherries, he has made 77 appearances so far. The 23-year-old has also broken into the senior England squad, having made his debut back in 2018.

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A central midfielder by trade, the Englishman can also play in a deeper role, on the right and as a number 10, meaning Lampard could use his versatility. Cook is a talented player with massive potential and should bolster Chelsea’s midfield options, whilst bringing competition within Lampard’s squad.

His inclusion would be a major boost for Chelsea and as Lampard has shown his willingness to put faith on youngsters, the midfielder would perfectly fit the Blues boss’ philosophy.

Verdict

Cook has proven his fitness after recovering from the nasty ACL injury. And if Chelsea can give him the platform to perform, the one-cap England international could thrive under Lampard and eventually help the club.