Pre-season for Premier League clubs is mainly about players rediscovering their peak fitness levels in time for the new campaign. It is, however, also very useful for discovering talent within the squad that may come in handy.
See Trevoh Chalobah last year, for example. Thomas Tuchel had no real plans of using the Chelsea defender for the 2021/22 term, but his performances in pre-season convinced the Blues head coach to keep him. Look how that went.
This time around, plenty of other names are in a similar boat to what Chalobah was sailing last year. Levi Colwill, Emerson Palmieri, Kenedy – to name a few.
Ethan Ampadu is another man who faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. The 21-year-old has a big 2022 ahead of him following Wales’ World Cup campaign later in the year. He is a key part of the Welsh squad, and regular football is a must for Ampadu.
After spending last season on loan at Venezia – where he impressed – Ampadu returned to Cobham this summer, hoping to impress Tuchel and co. The Wales international was brought on the club’s tour of the United States, and he has played a part in Chelsea’s matches thus far.
Ampadu was used in the middle of a back-three against Club America at the weekend and did a great job. His confidence and awareness of the ball ensured he fitted in seamlessly.
“Ethan did very well, I think,” Tuchel said at the weekend. “The position is good for him in the middle of the back three. He played a lot of vertical passes and did not play left to right only.
“He played through the lines with his passes and dribbles. So he was very active, which was a good match for him. He is training well.”
A few days later, as Chelsea travelled to Charlotte in a storm-disrupted match, Ampadu started on the bench. He was brought on in a much-changed Chelsea side for the second period.
Ampadu slotted into the centre of midfield alongside Conor Gallagher in a double pivot. The Welshman excelled there. When in possession, he was always looking forward, trying to find the progressive passes, similar to what we saw from Mateo Kovacic in the first half. He alluded to his passing between the lines in his press conference in Las Vegas at the weekend, and he was proven right again in Charlotte.
While not possessing the same dribbling and driving ability as Kovacic, Ampadu makes up for it in other areas. He’s defensively sound – almost definitely helped by his ability to play as a centre-back – meaning he offered a screen to the back-three.
It was a strong 45-minute showing from the Chelsea man. It’s now back-to-back performances where he must have turned Tuchel’s head somewhat.
His versatility will be so important to the squad if he does stick around. Ampadu doesn’t even know his favourite position.
“I hoped that by now I’d have found out the answer,” he replied when asked which position on the pitch he considers his favourite. “But I’m not sure yet. I enjoy playing football, to be honest.”
In a summer transfer window where Chelsea is being linked with seemingly every player on the planet, they might not have to look too far for a young and promising player who loves the club and is determined to become a success—saying that this is Chelsea. Who knows what will happen?
