EPL: Why Sarri shouldn’t have signed Kovacic – Keown
Former Arsenal player, Martin Keown has stated that Chelsea boss,
Maurizio Sarri, would never have signed Mateo Kovacic this summer had he
done his homework on Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley.
Kovacic joined on a season-long loan from Real Madrid and has already
emerged as a key component of the Chelsea side which has remained
undefeated this season.
The arrival of the Croatia international appeared to hinder the first
team prospects of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley, but after slow
stats under Sarri, the England internationals are quickly proving their
worth.
“I honestly believe that had Maurizio Sarri known just how good Ross
Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were, Chelsea would not have taken Mateo
Kovacic on loan,” Keown told the Daily Mail.
“It’s nice problem for Sarri to have. You cannot drop N’Golo Kante so there are three players fighting for one midfield berth.
“If Chelsea had to make a choice between Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek, I
would rather send Kovacic back to Real Madrid than send Loftus-Creek out
on loan.”
Barkley suffered a serious hamstring injury last season and made just
four appearances under Antonio Conte following his January move from
Everton.
The 24-year-old has flourished under Sarri, however, scoring three goals
in his last three games, including the priceless equaliser in the
recent 2-2 draw with Manchester United, and Keown is full of admiration
for the way in which he has rebuilt his career.
“Barkley is one of the best players we have produced in terms of technical ability.”
He added, “I will never forget the first time I saw him play. He was on
loan at Sheffield Wednesday and I spent the whole match trying to work
out if he was right or left-footed.
“He took one corner with his right, then later in the game took one from the other side of the pitch with his left.
“But talent can only get you so far. Now, the penny has dropped for him.
He knows how to get the best from that talent. He knows where he needs
to be on the pitch to maximise his ability.
“Maurizio Sarri is getting the best from him by playing him in an
advanced midfield role. It suits all of his qualities and gets him into
the final third often so he can work his magic.”
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