The 19/20 season was one of hope and optimism for Chelsea. With fans expecting Frank Lampard to embed the Cobham youth into the first team, after years of seeing academy graduates struggle to make it to the very top at SW6. Fikayo Tomori was one of these players fans had high hopes for.
With a transfer ban in place, Lampard put some much needed faith into the youth and the likes of Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Reece James were all introduced into the first team by Lampard. Of all the academy debutants, it is safe to say that it was Tomori that had the most challenging debut season in England’s top flight.
He started the Premier League campaign really well, putting in some composed performances against the likes of Sheffield United and Wolves, also scoring a 35-yard belter against the latter – the goal later voted Chelsea’s Goal of the Season.
A new four-year deal for Tomori in December got fans excited, in the hope that he could kick on from his strong opening to the campaign. But, despite that good start, Tomori found himself struggling to get more starting line-up appearances, as he began finding himself on the bench.
When Antonio Rudiger returned from a lengthy injury layoff in December, a strong performance from the German against Lille in the Champions League saw Chelsea fans singing his praises, as they believed that Rudiger was the club’s best centre-back and that he was going to be the calming influence to sort out what was a worryingly leaky defence. Rudiger’s return saw him slot straight back into Chelsea’s defence and from here, it wasn’t going to be any easier for Tomori to regain his starting spot in the Blues’ defence.
Unfortunately, the expectations of Rudiger being the most senior centre-back and the man to rejuvenate the defence soon vanished, as the German’s performances along with the rest of the defence took a huge dip and it wasn’t long before fans started to make their opinions known on their backline.
Despite some decent performances, it has to be said that Rudiger had underperformed much more than the likes of Zouma and Christensen when it mattered most, so surely Fikayo Tomori deserved a shot to once again start some games in place of Rudiger as a result of the German’s poor form. Unfortunately, Tomori wasn’t given the run of games that many wanted him to have.
Tomori’s last start for the Blues came all the way back in February in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in the league and although his performance in that game wasn’t entirely convincing. The Canada-born Englishman has since rarely featured in Frank Lampard’s team selection, with Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen and Rudiger all preferred to Tomori by Lampard. After such a strong and promising start to the season, it seemed a mystery as to why the young defender became such an outcast to the team, even after a slightly underwhelming performance.
As a youngster who has been at the Chelsea academy his whole life, Tomori’s contract extension seemed like a sign that he was going to be playing a big part in Frank’s Chelsea rebuild. However, his rare appearances following the early part of 2020 caused fans to ask questions and concerns rose as to whether Tomori’s future could be in doubt.
Rumours began to circulate that Tomori and Lampard had perhaps fallen out. Yet Lampard came out many times to the press to say that reccuring injury niggles were often the cause of Tomori’s absences in the Chelsea team.
From the Bournemouth game where Tomori last started for the Blues through to the season’s belated culmination, he was reduced to just a handful of appearances on the bench and very few appearances off of it. An unfortunate end to what looked to be a breakthrough season for the central defender.
Since the season ended almost two months ago, Tomori had been linked with loans away from the club, including a potential move to Everton where he would be working under former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti.
It has to be said, moving to Merseyside for a season wouldn’t be the worst change of scenery for Tomori. Many tipping the Toffees to challenge the Premier League’s big boys this season, after they signed Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez, Napoli’s Allan and Watford Abdoulaye Doucoure, all massive midfield signings that could propel Everton to the next level.
However, Frank Lampard announced in his press conference on Friday that Tomori remains a big part of his plans for this season, so it seems that he is set to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Considering that Tomori won Derby’s Player of the Year under Lampard at Derby County in 18/19 and was instrumental in Derby’s road to the Championship Play-Off Final that season, it was never going to be a case of Lampard losing complete faith in Tomori and maybe more a case of not wanting to overwork him in his full debut season in one of the most demanding leagues in the world.
In terms of ways for Tomori to work his way back into Chelsea’s starting squad, the Blues’ signing of 35 year-old Thiago Silva on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain could prove pivotal for the 22-year old’s development. The veteran Brazilian has won seven Ligue 1 titles in France amongst other international and individual honours throughout his career and the experience and defensive nous that Tomori could learn from Silva is endless. As beneficial as a loan abroad or to Everton could be, I think Frank has made the right choice in quashing any potential moves for Tomori and confirming the youngster’s stay at the Bridge for another season; if Silva can take Tomori under his wing and offer all his experience to him, Tomori will be well on his way to regaining a regular starting berth under Lampard.
I’m sure many Chelsea fans would agree with me that Tomori has fantastic potential and can become a top player at Chelsea if he is given the right opportunities. I am confident that if he can put last season’s struggles to regain Frank’s trust to be a regular starter and his injury worries behind him, he could turn out to become one of the most crucial parts of Chelsea’s defence in the years to come.
Written by Luka Foley
Edited by Jai Mcintosh @jjmcintosh5