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This is not Chalobah’s first spell with a club overseas, having spent part of the 2020-21 campaign on loan with Lorient in the French top flight.<\/p>\n
It was there that he emulated his older brother Nathaniel, who played for Napoli, by taking the less-trodden path of moving to Europe as an English player, a route that has since become more commonplace.<\/p>\n
The younger Chalobah says it was “not a coincidence” that Tuchel, whom he had faced while at Lorient after the German joined Paris St-Germain, picked him out and gave him his Chelsea<\/a> debut.<\/p>\n Five years later, Tuchel promised him that if a defender dropped out of England’s World Cup squad, Chalobah would be first in line for a call-up.<\/p>\n While on holiday in New York, Chalobah received the call to join Tuchel’s squad at his first World Cup in place of the injured Tino Livramento.<\/p>\n “The story’s already written before I was born,” Chalobah said.<\/p>\n “He’s the one that gave me my debut for Chelsea<\/a> and he’s the same manager that called me up for the World Cup last minute.<\/p>\n “I think certain things are meant to happen and I’m grateful for that. Obviously all thanks to him and I’m really happy.”<\/p>\n The tournament ended in a semi-final defeat by Argentina before the team secured the bronze medal with a 6-4 victory over France in their final match.<\/p>\n “No one wants to come third. You’re just one step away from the final,” he said. <\/p>\n “It was definitely hard for the players. It did hit us for a couple of days. You know how hard the boys worked, how they believed that we could win it.<\/p>\n “And yeah, we were so close. But we learn from this and be proud of what we’ve done and achieved.”<\/p>\n It is now another manager with whom Chalobah’s destiny intertwines.<\/p>\n