Chelsea have officially signed Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City on a five-year deal after pursuing him for almost a month.
Chelsea have made an official statement to confirm that they managed to complete the signing of Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City on a five-year deal. Although the report did not mention how much the deal cost, the BBC claims they paid about £35 million for the Manchester United academy graduate.
Chelsea were targeting Drinkwater as a replacement for Nemanja Matic. The Serbian midfielder’s departure from Chelsea to join Manchester United made major headlines, and his absence was quite telling in the Blues’ midfield. With Drinkwater now in the fray, it will be interesting to see how things pan out for him.
Matic was an instrumental figure in Chelsea’s fortunes and to replace a player like that might seem like a daunting task for Drinkwater. Although Chelsea already splurged on a deal for Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco, it is understood that Conte wanted to add to his midfield options – making Drinkwater a viable target.
The talented midfielder joined Leicester in 2012 from Manchester United, and has made three England appearances since making his international debut in March 2016. In fact, Drinkwater signed a new four-year contract with Leicester City only last summer.
The Englishman played in 35 of Leicester’s 38 league games in their title-winning season, as he went on to form an impressive midfield partnership with N’Golo Kante, who joined Chelsea last summer. The Frenchman’s presence was greatly missed in the Foxes’ midfield and it was quite evident that Drinkwater was struggling without him.
Kante has gone on to establish himself as a key member of Conte’s squad by living up to his billing and playing a major role in Chelsea’s fortunes last season. Thus, a move for Drinkwater can only strengthen the Blues’ midfield further with Drinkwater and Kante proven as strong partners at the centre of the park.
Additionally, Drinkwater has Champions League experience which will prove to be a valuable for Chelsea. The 27-year-old is typically a persistent midfielder who can impact the game at either end of the pitch, making him ideal for a side like Conte’s.
In terms of opportunity, this will be a huge deal for Drinkwater since he will get to play for one of the biggest clubs in England while competing in the coveted Champions League. Although Leicester improved form under Craig Shakespeare, Chelsea can provide a lot more for Drinkwater to further his career.