Chelsea stalwart Gary Cahill will reportedly stick it out at Stamford Bridge rather than accept an exit before Friday’s transfer deadline.
The 32-year-old has been a regular fixture in the Blues line-up since joining the club from Bolton Wanderers in 2011, winning several trophies to underline his importance to the side.
SEE MORE: Chelsea ace drops hint over January exit and reveals interest from Euro giants
However, following the appointment of Maurizio Sarri this past summer, the return to a back four has led to concerns for the veteran as he has been left out by the Italian tactician thus far.
With a central defensive pairing of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger being preferred, it has naturally raised question marks over whether or not Cahill has a prominent role to play for Chelsea moving forward, but according to The Sun, he will reject a move away before Friday’s deadline for Europe and the Championship to assess his situation again in January.
Time will tell if he can convince Sarri of his ability to adapt to his demands, both defensively and in possession given the former Napoli boss prefers a possession-based style of play, but if he can before the turn of the year, then perhaps he still has a future at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, given that they’re also battling on various fronts this season including in the Europa League, there will surely come a point at which the Blues will need to rotate and that could open up an opportunity for Cahill to impress.
For now though, having been left out of the match-day squads, he’ll have to continue to work hard in training to make that initial breakthrough and catch Sarri’s eye to prove that staying was indeed the right option for him this summer as he’ll be desperate to play regularly.