Boga has ultimately had to make his name in a different context, although there are no guarantees that he’d have been in a better position had he remained in West London.

Given the unrest at the club in that campaign, and the heated atmosphere at the Bridge last season under Maurizio Sarri, the youngster’s development may have been stunted by that pressure. Also, the presence of Eden Hazard at the club could have been a stumbling block to the youngster’s path, so maybe it was best that he left for Sassuolo two years ago.

Since the Ivorian’s departure, the Belgian magician has departed Stamford Bridge, a club legend who seems to show belief in the club’s youth players and academy products has returned, while Boga has grown under Roberto De Zerbi’s coaching since 2018.

2018-19 served as his bedding-in year, which is reflected in his numbers; Boga netted three times and set up one in 25 Serie A appearances, although only 14 were starts.

A scoring frequency of a goal every 480 minutes wasn’t particularly encouraging, but that could be attributed to not playing regularly, while the Chelsea academy graduate rarely received the ball in dangerous positions.

There’s been a marked improvement this season, with Boga hitting the back of the net eight times while registering two assists before the campaign’s suspension in early March. It’s his best return by far, and it would be a shame if the season were to be voided, and his numbers consequently erased.