Ghana winger ‘delighted’ with Chelsea move.
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New Chelsea signing Christian Atsu has spoken of his delight at moving to the club, and told BBC Sport that he hopes to emulate the success of Didier Drogba and Michael Essien at Stamford Bridge.
The Ghanian winger joined the Blues from Porto late on in this summer’s transfer window, before being immediately loaned out to Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem to gain more first-team experience.
Atsu attracted a lot of attention from the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham as well this summer, before he eventually penned a five-year contract to join Chelsea, and he feels he can benefit from taking time away from the club to impress Jose Mourinho.
The 21-year-old would have faced a great deal of competition in the team’s attacking midfield, with the likes of Andre Schurrle and Willian also joining the Blues this summer, adding to a long list of star names such as Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Kevin De Bruyne fighting it out for a starting spot.
Speaking about his move, he said: “When Chelsea came for me, I saw a good opportunity to work with a massive club and a great coach.
“I know I have to prove myself at Vitesse first and I’m determined to do just that.”
Atsu added that he hopes he can return and one day be talked about alongside Chelsea legends Drogba and Essien, the latter of whom is also his international team-mate, with both playing a big part in his decision to join the club.
“I have a lot of respect for Essien because playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world is not easy.
“I know that I’ve a long way to go to get anywhere close to what he’s done.
“Hopefully, one day I’ll be mentioned in the same breadth as Essien and Didier Drogba.”
Another Chelsea winger, Victor Moses, was sent out on loan by the club on transfer deadline day, moving to Liverpool for the 2013/14 season.