Jose Mourinho completed his second summer coup by adding the highly-rated left-back Abdul Baba Rahman to Chelsea’s ranks last week. The versatile 21-year-old – who can also operate as a midfielder or winger – arrives at Stamford Bridge for a hefty £17.7 million from Bundesliga side Augsburg and is determined to make an instant impact at both ends of the pitch:
“I am ready to play and to fight for the club, to give my best. I think competition for places is very important because without it the club wouldn’t go further. It’s a big challenge for me and I’m going to fight hard to win trophies with this club and to achieve its aim…I’m a left back and, as a defender, it’s important for me to be strong in the tackle, which I always try to be. I also like to get forward as much as possible and help the team in attack. It’s very important because obviously if you can provide crosses from out wide there is a higher chance of providing assists and chances for the team.”
THE HISTORY
Three years ago, Rahman was plying his trade in his home country of Ghana and now he is ready to take on the English top flight. The full-back worked his way up through the Ghanaian leagues and was scouted by top European clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester City and Parma but in the summer of 2012, chose to join newly-promoted Bundesliga side SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
By December 2012, Rahman had cemented a starting role with his new side and played every minute of the club’s league matches from the turn of 2013 to the end of that season. However, the defender didn’t manage to save his side from an immediate relegation into the German second division for the 2013-14 campaign. What followed was a turbulent year for the Ghanaian, as he struggled for pitch time and was rotated in and out of the side. In those two seasons he didn’t pick up a single goal and only managed a sole assist.
However, as the 2014-15 campaign started, Rahman immediately went about improving those figures. In Fürth’s second fixture of the season, he bagged a brace and an assist in a performance that helped force through the already imminent £1.75 million move to Augsburg the day afterwards. That transfer proved to be the making of the youngster, as a series of defensively astute and clinically attacking performances saw the defender mark his name as one of Europe’s brightest young sparks. Rahman ended last season with four assists from 31 appearances (29 starts) in the Bundesliga.
Despite his tender age the full-back has already become first-choice for his country, usurping Leicester City’s Jeffrey Schlupp. He played every minute of the 2015 African Cup of Nations, as well as the qualifying matches, picked up three assists in those fixtures and spearheaded his side’s charge to second place.
THE PROSPECTS
With Filipe Luis returning to Atletico Madrid during the summer, Chelsea clearly needed competition for the left-back berth over the upcoming campaign. The versatile Cesar Azpilicueta offers Mourinho an option in both full-back positions, with the Spaniard affording the Blues an alternative to Branislav Ivanovic on the right of the back-four.
Although the Chelsea defence was relatively settled last term – with Ivanovic and John Terry playing every minute of their title-winning season – this year could be different. As we saw only last week, where Mourinho hauled off his captain at the break for the first time in his career under the Portuguese manager, changes may be afoot and Ivanovic’s sluggish start to the season could also be a concern.
Both Jefferson Montero and Raheem Sterling made a mockery of the Serb in the opening two Gameweeks of the season, with his lack of pace exposed due to his manager’s insistence on playing a high defensive line. Rahman, however, is quick enough to deal with even the fastest of Premier League wingers. That pace adds to the full-back’s Fantasy appeal as he regularly bombs forward – he dribbled past an opponent 44 times last season, created 24 goal scoring chances in his 31 appearances and produced more crosses than any player in the German top-flight in 2014/15.
It’s not just his attacking potential that catches the eye, though. In last season’s Bundesliga, the Ghanaian made more tackles (108) than any other player, winning an incredible 83% of those challenges, and also succeeding in 67% of aerial battles. He averaged more tackles, interceptions, dribbles and crosses per minute than Azpilicueta and seems to possess both the attacking threat and aerial prowess of Ivanovic, but with added pace to burn.
Having conceded five times in two matches, it’s clear that something is amiss with the Blues’ backline right now, though. In the first two Gameweeks, they allowed their opponents more big chances (eight) than any side and sit second-worst for shots conceded inside the box (23) – a far cry from the defence that chalked up the most clean sheets (17) in 2014/15 and shipped fewer goals (31) than any other team.
As we’ve seen before with Mourinho sides, though, Chelsea’s defence – at their resilient best – have proven fixture-proof time and again and it’s a little too early to tell just how much of an impact Rahman will have. If he eats away at Ivanovic or Azplicueta’s minutes, though, and Mourinho continues to curtail Terry’s pitch time, pinpointing a viable route into the Blues backline could prove trickier than ever before.
At 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), though, the new boy’s uncertainty of starts will ensure we steer well clear for now until there are signs he can establish himself as a regular. Given that Mourinho described him as “a very good young left-back with potential” in yesterday’s press conference, it remains to be seen whether Rahman can nail down a starting berth or struggle for minutes like his predecessor.
