‘Oh no!’, ‘What a mess’ – fans can’t believe Monaco have signed Chelsea defender Panzo

Jonathan Panzo Monaco
Jonathan Panzo Monaco

We reported on Friday that Chelsea confirmed defender Jonathan Panzo has joined AS Monaco and supporters can’t believe another young talent was allowed to leave the club.

The Blues have been very busy this summer, loaning out Jake Clarke-Salter to Yeovil, Dujon Sterling to Coventry City, Reece James to Wigan Athletic and Nathan Baxter to Yeovil Town. Matej Delac left the club at the end of his contract. And after Panzo revealed he was the latest to depart Stamford Bridge, fans have reacted negatively.

The 20-year-old was highly-rated and was on the fringes of the first-team after racking up 25 appearances for the 18s, two for the u19s and three for the u23s. He had stiff competition for playing time in the senior side but may have been challenging for a spot within the next 12 months – Andreas Christensten’s rise to prominence proves there’s a clear pathway for youngsters.

For too long, supporters have seen Chelsea loan out their young talent every season and eventually cash in on their potential with a quick and sometimes lucrative sale. The price they received for Panzo appears to be nominal, however, and with Gary Cahill, Antonio Rudiger, David Luiz, Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta for centre-back options, Panzo’s exit isn’t likely to hurt them.

Their loss is Monaco’s gain, however, with the Ligue 1 club having a promising defender to develop whom they signed for very little this summer. They too have stiff competition in the side – Jemerson, Kamil Glik, Andrea Raggi – but clearly they rate Panzo enough to gamble on him.

Stats from Transfermarkt.

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