Chelsea messed up selling "superb" Sancho & Cucurella hybrid for £1.7m

Chelsea are approaching the all-important run-in, with nine Premier League games left to play for Enzo Maresca’s side, as they look to regain their top form when it matters most and secure UEFA Champions League football. This would be the Blues’ first time back in the competition after missing out the last two years.

This will also be mixed in with their UEFA Conference League run, currently in the quarter-finals of that competition, set to face Legia Warszawa in a two-legged tie on April 10th and April 17th.

18 days since their last game, Chelsea will take on Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, starting their bid for that top four spot, as they currently sit 4th on 49 points, just one point ahead of Manchester City in 5th. But this run-in isn’t just important for the club itself, as one player in particular will be playing for his future at the club.

Jadon Sancho’s last chance

Some breaking news over the international break was around Chelsea’s Jadon Sancho loan deal, a move they made in the summer to acquire the English winger from Manchester United on a loan with an obligation to buy.

However, it has been revealed this week that the 25-year-old forward could be sent back to Manchester United if Chelsea decide to pay a £5m compensation fee, in order to get out of their obligation to buy for around £25m.

Therefore, this final stretch in an attempt to qualify for Champions League football will be even more important, as Sancho’s form in that time could determine whether he is at the club next season or not. The Blues could be regretting one of their summer sales, who has played a mixture of roles on the left-hand side this season, finding some fine form over in France.

Chelsea’s superb regret

Chelsea made plenty of sales in the summer, one of which saw Diego Moreira move to sister club Strasbourg, for a fee of around £1.7m, as Maresca ditched him from the squad.

The 20-year-old has made 28 appearances for the French outfit this season, scoring once, providing six assists and totaling 2,221 minutes played.

The Portuguese left-sided player has been used in a multitude of positions by manager Liam Rosenior, starting as a left-back 11 times, as a left-midfielder/left-winger 11 times, and even through the middle twice and on the right twice, showing his versatility.

When looking at Moreira’s underlying metrics, and comparing him to both Chelsea’s left-back, Marc Cucurella, and left-winger, Sancho, you can see the creativity he could offer from both areas, whilst also fitting the man-to-man pressing scheme, making tackles and interceptions, whilst also having the most ball recoveries among the trio.

Jacek Kulig has praised the amazing form of Moreira playing for Strasbourg this season, labeling the youngster as “superb“. The 20-year-old star could have been an excellent depth piece for the Blues, being able to play as an overlapping fullback in the absence of Cucurella, whilst also being a natural winger through the youth ranks, making him an option to replace Sancho on the left, who has been out of form for some time now.

On the bright side, Moreira has developed nicely being a part of this young and expansive Strasbourg project, growing as a player. Chelsea are said to have a buy-back clause which was inserted into the deal when he was sold in the summer, so one day he could return to play a role for the Blues.

As it stands, though, Maresca messed up by brutally ditching him from Stamford Bridge last year because he could have been the Italian’s own hybrid of Cucurella and Sancho’s best qualities down the left flank.