Gary Cahill: The forgotten Club Captain?

The thirty-two year old defender is seemingly at a crossroads in his career. Not getting any younger, yet captain of one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, Gary Cahill evidently has a major decision to make.

With just one Premier League appearance this season coming as a substitute, Gary Cahill must be under no illusions that he is well and truly out of favour with Maurizio Sarri.

With the new boss coming in at the beginning of the campaign, Sarri’s switch to 4-3-3 has not helped the former Bolton man’s case. Previously under Antonio Conte, the 32-year-old was utilised as a third centre-back, often playing on the left of the three. However, under the new system, they have switched to playing two central defenders.

David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger have been given the role of being Sarri’s first choice pairing, meaning Cahill has been unable to state a case to warrant a starting berth.

In fact, the duo have been ever-presents in the Chelsea starting lineup, playing all 13 of Chelsea’s top flight matches.

Now, with the January transfer window impending, Chelsea’s club captain is being linked to moves all over Europe, including Italian giants AC Milan as well as Premier League strugglers Southampton.

Although unable to get first-team action at Stamford Bridge on a regular basis, Cahill still possesses the traits and qualities most managers would crave. A player who is no stranger to putting his body on the line, leads the team well and can pop up with occasional goal is problematic for clubs to find in modern football.

Approaching the final chapters of what has been a glittering career, the two-time Premier League winner needs to analyse which way his football is heading. Being an experienced campaigner, his goals and what he will set out to achieve within the next couple of years may differ.

Perhaps, the decision he makes in January will ultimately prove to be for financial reasons or maybe it’s to search for first team football.

Nevertheless, with 350 Premier League appearances drawing near, Gary Cahill still has a lot to offer.