Christophe Lollichon has suggested that Chelsea could bring RC Strasbourg winger Gessime Yassine to England in the near future.
Chelsea have become a very different club under their current ownership compared with the regime that previously ran the West London club. The Roman Abramovich era brought plenty of success to Stanford Bridge, although the club relied heavily on significant spending to achieve its objectives each season.
The new owners, meanwhile, have adopted a model focused on signing players who can develop at the club before decisions are made about their long-term futures. Most of these recruits are young, and although many have failed to make the expected impact, several have developed into important players.
Chelsea’s owners also operate a multi-club model that includes Strasbourg, with both clubs benefiting from their shared approach to player recruitment and development. Strasbourg have been particularly accommodating when it comes to taking Chelsea’s young players on loan.
At the same time, Strasbourg identify talent of their own, with some of their players eventually making the move to Chelsea. One such transfer could materialise in the future, with winger Gessime Yassine currently attracting significant attention.
Christophe Lollichon’s take on Gessime Yassine
Former Chelsea goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon, who spent 15 years at the club, has hinted that Yassine could move to Stamford Bridge in the near future. Although there has been no explicit confirmation that a transfer is imminent, Lollichon suggested in comments reported by The Sun that the winger is “practically” already a Chelsea player.
Lollichon said, “We’re (Dunkerque) meticulous about discovering talent and giving them the opportunity to express themselves. We don’t know how far they’ll go.
“Today, Gessime Yassine plays for Strasbourg but he’s practically at Chelsea.”
Yassine was linked with Chelsea during the summer, although his move to Strasbourg appears to have been the right step in allowing the Blues to assess his development. He has impressed in Ligue 1 so far, scoring two goals and providing two assists in seven league appearances.
Yassine has an opportunity to continue his development at a club like Chelsea, provided he reaches the required level to compete in the Premier League. However, his time at Strasbourg is still in its early stages, and he has plenty to prove before Chelsea decide whether to make a move.
