Gary Cahill could be on the verge of leaving Chelsea in the January window after going out of favour under new manager Maurizio Sarri.
Chelsea fans and players alike have so far expressed their satisfaction with Maurizio Sarri and his style of play, winning all four of their opening Premier League games. But Gary Cahill could not be counted among those happy ones, who according to Daily Mail is actively looking to quit the Stamford Bridge outfit unless he is played more in the team.
Gary Cahill has been with Chelsea for the past six years now and has won every single major honour with the club during this time. But, since the arrival of Maurizio Sarri as the club’s new manager, he has seemingly seen his act cut down to zero action.
Cahill joined the club late this summer after being part of England’s World Cup squad, and in the first four games of the Premier League season he has played no role at all, having been out of the matchday squad altogether. This is also due to the return of David Luiz who was frozen out by former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte midway through last season.
But, since Sarri’s arrival, there has been a change in the system at Chelsea, with only two centre-backs being employed. With Antonio Rudiger and Luiz the current first-choice partnership for the manager, and Andreas Christensen the first backup, Cahill will have to bide his time. Sarri has also pointed towards the 32-year-old’s poor fitness, which further puts him out of favour.
Cahill was considering an exit from the club in the summer amid the club’s links with Juventus’ Daniele Rugani, but stayed put in the end as the Italian never joined.
He was also one of the several names mentioned who were linked with Manchester United. Few other clubs reportedly showed some interest in the experienced Chelsea defender, but nothing came to fruition.
However, his current situation does not mean he would be frozen out of the squad altogether. Instead, Sarri holds his experience in high regard and feels such a player could be useful for other competitions. Chelsea play in the Europa League this season, a platform which Cahill might want to take to impress Sarri, as well as the Carabao Cup where Chelsea face Liverpool first up.
With less than a year remaining on his current deal with the club though, Chelsea might just be open to the idea of selling him in January itself, if he is not in Sarri’s long-term plans. For now though, the defender will be eager to impress the manager and win his place back in the lineup. But, a January exit remains a big possibility.
