The young Dutch midfielder, Marco van Ginkel, has just capped off his third season with PSV Eindhoven. Van Ginkel has won two Eredivisie titles, captained PSV and has scored 16 and assisted five goals for the Dutch champions this season.
The Answer to Chelsea’s Midfield – Marco van Ginkel
Marco van Ginkel arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2013 from Vitesse Arnhem. His reputation as a box to box midfielder with a knack for scoring goals led to many touting him as Frank Lampard’s replacement.
Arrival at Chelsea
He started off well at Chelsea and managed to start in their first Champions League game of the campaign. However, in his Capital One Cup debut, he suffered an ACL injury, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Due to his injury, his progress was halted at Chelsea and he joined in Chelsea’s ‘loan limbo’ of players that got loaned out every season. Since his injury, he has not played in another competitive game for Chelsea.
Loans
Since 2013 van Ginkel has been loaned out to AC Milan, Stoke City, and PSV Eindhoven. In 2015 he joined PSV and remained on loan to them since. Despite his success with the Dutch team, his career at Chelsea has not progressed despite Chelsea’s lack of a solid box-to-box midfielder. He has scored 31 goals in 63 appearances and led his team to two league titles. Furthermore, he is a player for the Dutch national team and captain of PSV.
The Last Word
With him being 25 years old and Chelsea having extended his contract to 2020, it seems like he could be the answer to Chelsea’s lackluster midfield. A midfield that has been crying for a player like Lampard since Lampard left. Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Barkley, and even Fabregas do not and cannot provide what Chelsea needs to dominate in midfield. We can expect to see him report to Cobham early in the summer for training as the Netherlands will not be in the World Cup. He has the opportunity to impress Chelsea’s staff and get in the squad for the 2018-2019 season.
