Chelsea transfer news: On-loan star Andreas Christensen is a top talent targeted by Barcelona – and here are five reasons why
Denmark international has caught the eye of Barcelona as he shines for Borussia Monchengladbach on loan
Sponsored by
CHELSEA centre-back Andreas Christensen has been catching the eye on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach in the last two seasons.
The Dane has attracted attention from many top European clubs including Barcelona, as exclusively revealed by the Sun on Sunday.
So what makes him such an exciting talent? Here are five things you need to know about the 20-year-old.
Keep up to date with ALL the Chelsea news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary by clicking HERE
1. He is a Champions League talent
In the last two seasons he has starred for Borussia Monchengladbach on loan. The German side’s Champions League experiences have seen him play against some of Europe’s top teams.
His performance against Barcelona at the Westfalenstadion in September attracted the attention of the Catalan club.
The defender has also faced Manchester City in this year’s group stage.
His performances have been composed and commanding despite defeats for the German side. Showing great composure on the ball and a sharp defensive mind it is no surprise that the Catalan giants are monitoring his progress.
2. He won player of the year last season
During Monchengladbach’s march to fourth in the Bundesliga during the 2015/16 season, Christensen was key.
The club’s dreadful start to the season led to the sacking of manager Lucien Favre. His replacement André Schubert gave the Danish international a chance and he did not look back.
Christensen's performances in defence for Die Fohlen were exceptional as they came from the bottom of the division to qualify for the Champions League.
He was awarded the club Player of the Season award ahead of Granit Xhaka, who then joined Arsenal for £30million.
Related Stories
3. He is a Danish international
Christensen’s performances in the Chelsea youth ranks caught the eye of the Denmark setup.
He got his first cap in June 2015 and has not looked back, making 10 appearances for his country.
The defender could not help his side qualify for Euro 2016 and missed out on the summer tournament. However, with Russia 2018 on the horizon he will be looking forward to the possibility of international success.
4. He won the FA Youth Cup with Chelsea
Joining the youth setup at the age of 16, he went on to lift multiple honours while in the youth team.
Firstly, winning the FA Youth Cup and Under-21 Premier League in 2014. He then won the UEFA Youth Champions League in 2015 while also making his Chelsea first team debut in the same year.
5. He is well suited to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side
It was a surprise to many Chelsea fans when Conte chose to send the youngster out on loan again in his first season.
This is because he seems perfectly suited to how Conte wants to play. It is well known that the Italian manager likes to play with three at the back, a system Christensen fitted perfectly into at Monchengladbach.
With the injury problems of Kurt Zouma and John Terry, coupled with Gary Cahill’s poor form, the decision seems all the more confusing.
Chelsea must avoid risking him becoming another that ‘got away’ like Kevin De Bruyne. However, with European giants circling in on the young defender, he appears to have no shortage of future options.