The summer transfer window is always a busy period at a football club, but for those working at Chelsea, that is an understatement.
This summer has been reasonably busy in terms of incoming transfers, but it is those dealing with the outgoing players that have had their work cut out, and in particular those tasked with finding temporary clubs for our 38 players out on loan have been working very hard indeed.
Chelsea has earned a reputation for the amount of players it sends on loan each year, a number that seems to rise with every passing campaign. Some players are loaned and then sold without getting even near the first team – perhaps as a ploy to bump up their price tag when sold on (Stipe Perica for example, a name few has never even heard of) – but some are loaned out with both the club and player hoping that they return having improved enough to compete in the first team.
READ ALSO: Full list of Chelsea’s transfer activity this summer
Whether you agree with the policy or not, a good loan spell can do great things for a player… A bad loan spell however can be very tough for a young hopeful to endure. We’re going to look at the good, the bad and the frankly quite bizarre loan deals Chelsea have arranged for this season.
Good ones
Whilst the majority of the deals you would hope would be positive, to comment on all of them would take all day, so we’re going to look at the exciting loans that stand out as potentially very good.
And where better to start than with Lewis Baker? A player who has won everything in the Chelsea Academy and is one of those that has been accredited to have what it takes to be a Chelsea first team player in the future.
Admittedly, some fans will have been a little disappointed to see that the England U21 is not cutting his teeth in the Premier League this year, but a little bit of consistency could actually be key to Baker’s progress. So many times have we seen a player have a great season at one club, then their next loan club just doesn’t give them that chance to shine and so their development is stalled.
There’s no doubt that Baker has what it takes to play in the Premier League, but with Vitesse, Baker has had that season to establish himself, to familiarise himself with the coach and the players, and now this season he has a great chance to really push on and grab Conte’s attention. And the same can be said for Charlie Musonda and Andreas Christensen.
Next up is Chelsea youngster Tammy Abraham. After a couple of great seasons in the academy, it looks as though he has what it takes to be just as prolific in his first season playing senior football. What is really telling though, is Chelsea’s choice to send him straight to the Chamionship.
Both he and Kasey Palmer have gone straight to the championship, despite the apparent trend, especially for our young English players, that a loanee’s first stay away from the club is in League 1 (like with Colkett and Clarke-Salter this year), then comes the step-up to the Championship a year or two later. It’s a bold choice by Chelsea to give them such a challenge straight away, but it shows confidence in the players and the high hopes the club has for their futures.
Pasalic is a player that has never really been in and around the Chelsea team. Unlike the players mentioned before, he hasn’t spent time in the academy but was bought as a young prospect and has been loaned out ever since. His first tenure was with Elche in the Spanish Primera, then last year he had a decent spell at Monaco and he has now earned himself a chance at AC Milan. He has clearly progressed season after season; going up a level every campaign. Serie A is a league that Conte clearly trusts and if he make waves in Milan, Conte could be tempted to give the young Croatian a chance. He has a habit of getting on the score sheet, and Chelsea fans do love a goalscoring midfielder.
Bad ones
It is obviously still early in the season and therefore perhaps too early to pass judgement, but some loan deals seem to be going in the wrong direction regarding the player’s development.
Nathan Ake was a common fixture in the Watford back four in his previous loan move and some Chelsea fans were even calling for his return, given our frailties at left full-back last season. But it was decided that he would once again go on loan to another premier League club.
However, at Bournemouth, his club for the upcoming season, chances thus far have been less frequent than at Watford, where Chelsea’s Brazilian winger Kenedy will play his football this year.
Ake has a lot of quality and I do back him to get more first team football sooner rather than later, but I can’t help but think this move could be a step backwards. Having established himself at Watford, he could have returned and played week in week out for another season. He now has to try and force himself in to a side, playing at the same level, which could prove quite difficult. He took his chance last year, but that chance might not arise this time around.
Tomas Kalas made a name for himself after his brilliant display against Liverpool and Luis Suarez at the tail end of the 2013/2014 season. After some discussion as to whether he would stay and continue his development in and around the Chelsea first team or develop elsewhere, the decision was made to send him to the Bundesliga with FC Koln. After a frustrating half a season there, he switched to Middlesborough, where he spent last season as well. He will now spend this season with Fulham.
With Middlesbourogh gaining promotion to the Premier League, it is perhaps a disappointment to see Tomas Kalas remain in the Championship. He seemed ready for the Premier League three years ago, but he still finds himself having to gain experience in the league below. In Kalas you have a player who can play right full-back or Centre-back and would be an ideal replacement for Branislav Ivanovic. That replacement could be needed sooner rather than later, so some experience at the top level needs to happen soon for Kalas.
Bizarre loans
There have been some strange switches this year, for a few different reasons. Let’s take a look.
Kenneth Omeruo was playing every week in the Championship for Middlesborough a few seasons ago and to top it all off, played for Nigeria in the African cup of Nations and The Confederations Cul. So it was a bit of a surprise to see him make the temporary move to Turkish side Kasimpasa. That move didn’t seem to be a step forward in his development, but when he signed a new contract for Chelsea this summer, it looked as though he was still in the potential plans for the future… Then he moved back to Turkey with newly promoted side Alanyaspor. Omeruo is a 22-year old with 31 appearances for Nigeria’s first team – was there really no other club that would take him?!
Juan Cuadrado was rumoured to be in Conte’s plans this season after returning from his loan spell in Italy and pre-season certainly suggested that too. However, the season has started and the Colombian has not featured for the club at all. So it was no shock to see him leaving the club towards the end of the summer transfer window as Juventus, the club he helped to the title last term in Serie A, confirmed he would be returning to Turin… On a three-year loan deal!
I don’t know how this has happened and there have been rumours to suggest that the move has to be made permanent after Cuadrado makes a certain amount of appearances, but still, when have you ever heard of a three year loan deal? Just sell him and be done with it!
And finally, young goalkeeper Nathan Baxter makes a loan move to the Met Police. No further comment, that’s just abut of a weird one isn’t it?
Who do you consider as Chelsea’s best, worst and the most bizarre loan deal this summer? Comment your thoughts down below!
