Why Chelsea should hold on to Davide Zappacosta this season
According to Evening Standard, Chelsea’s right-back Davide Zappacosta has stated that he would consider a return to the Serie A if he continues to struggle for first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian right-back joined Chelsea from Torino in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £23million and has made a total of 35 appearances for the club, including 22 in the Premier League last year. He has been a part of Maurizio Sarri’s matchday squads for the top-flight games this season but has remained an unused substitute so far.
Cesar Azpilicueta has started ahead of Zappacosta and the Spaniard continues to impress at Stamford Bridge. Not only has he looked solid defensively but he also came up with a perfectly measured long-ball to assist Alvaro Morata for Chelsea’s second goal against Arsenal. While Marcos Alonso has not hesitated and has continued on his merry way with dangerous runs into the opposition’s half, Azpilicueta has looked composed and seems content to hold his ground and venture forward occasionally.
Like most Italian players, Davide Zappacosta is good with his technique. His 6ft frame may not be stocky and powerful but he makes up for it with his elegance on the ball. He exhibits the versatility to play as a right-back and a right midfielder, depending on the need of the hour.
Zappacosta, who currently earns wages in the region of £80,000-a-week, is not the fastest defender around but he has the ability to weave his way through narrow spaces with nimble elegance. The Italian is also adept at finding the target man in the box with pinpoint crosses.
Although he is primarily a right-back by trade, Zappacosta has all the attributes required to play as a right-winger. In fact, he could be termed as a right sided version of his teammate Marcos Alonso. While the Italian has plenty of attacking prowess, he tends to make frequent runs on the overlap which can leave plenty of empty spaces for the opposition to exploit on counter-attacks. Besides that, however, he is quite good with his defending. He might lack a strong physical presence with his lean and lanky structure but he has good composure and times his tackles to perfection.
Victor Moses is the only other Chelsea player who is capable of playing as a right-back and a right midfielder but Zappacosta is technically superior to the Nigerian.
Zappacosta was not a regular starter for the Blues in the Premier League last season but he played an important role in the FA Cup and the League Cup. The Blues will take part in the UEFA Europa League this season and they must do well on all fronts under their new manager.
An injury or suspension to Azpilicueta would render Chelsea short of options for the right-back position and hence, the Blues should relish the luxury of having someone like Zappacosta in their reserves. Also, the Spaniard would be given a break at some point of the season, especially in the easier league fixtures and in cup competitions. Those situations could open the door for Zappacosta to receive adequate first-team action.
Having said that, Maurizio Sarri should hold on to his second-choice right-back and provide the Italian with regular minutes when he chooses to rotate his players.
