Gladbach accepts Christensen's Chelsea return
Borussia Monchengladbach is resigned to losing centre-back Andreas Christensen this summer as the Dane looks to end his two-year loan spell with the North Rhine-Westphalian lot.
Christensen, 20, has been in Germany for the last two years after agreeing to a two-season loan move from Chelsea in July 2015, and during that term, the Blues academy product has made 53 league starts for Die Fohlen.
Despite Gladbach's desire to sign Christensen to a permanent deal, Chelsea has been firm in its plans for the eight-time capped international, and with midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud agreeing Thursday to a Borussia Dortmund move, the mid-table Bundesliga outfit has accepted its fate.
Related: Gladbach announces Mahmoud Dahoud will join Dortmund next season
"He must go back to Chelsea FC," Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl told kicker, courtesy of ESPN FC. "Those are the two players (Dahoud and Christensen) that we have to replace in the summer.
"There are no others. And we don't want any others (to leave us)."
For Gladbach, replacing Christensen may prove to be a simpler task than the Dane faces in trying to carve a niche in Antonio Conte's Chelsea squad. The Italian's 3-4-3 formation this season has seen a trio of David Luiz, Gary Cahill, and Cesar Azpilicueta merit the majority of starts, earning 70 of the 74 starts available through 28 league tilts.
Veteran skipper John Terry has notched four starts prior to Luiz's summer move from Paris Saint-Germain, and with Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake set to fight for minutes in Conte's starting XI next season, Christensen could be hard-pressed for the same usage as he experienced this term at the Stadion im Borussia-Park.
Christensen's father, Sten, has understandable concerns about his son's impending Chelsea tenure.
"As it is right now, he'll be at Chelsea again this summer. It is important for Andreas that he plays. He will not return to Chelsea and sit on the bench. It is this transfer window that determines how Andreas' situation will be in the summer," Sten Christensen conceded in January.
"If Chelsea buy 10 central defenders, it may well be that we need to do something else. But let's see because Chelsea don't want to lose Andreas."