Chelsea FC Transfer Rumours: Youth Stars Sent On Loan
Chelsea FC’s loan machine has already started churning out temporary deals for the 2015/16 season, with two youth stars set to move to Middlesbrough FC. Tomas Kalas and Nathan Aké will make the jump to The Riverside Stadium, hoping to help Boro gain promotion to the Premier League.
RELATED: Chelsea FC Must Decide On Bertrand Traore’s Immediate Future
According to The Evening Standard, a deal has been agreed that will see the two youngsters join Aitor Karanka’s side for the entirety of the next season, a move that did wonders for Patrick Bamford last time out. Both will be looking to emulate their teammate’s success as he was crowned the Sky Bet Championship Player Of The Year.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
However, while this may look like a smart move for 20 year old Aké, it may be more frustrating for the older Kalas.
Kalas arrived at Stamford Bridge halfway through the 2010/11 campaign from Czech outfit Sigma Olomouc for a fee around £5 million. While the then 17 year old would have been excited for the potential path of his career, it hasn’t quite gone to plan yet.
The Czech defender has made only four appearances for the senior team since his arrival, instead spending the majority of his time on loan at other clubs. This included two seasons with partner/non-partner club Vitesse in Holland as well as a short stay with Boro earlier this year.
He’s been hit with some bad luck too. Just when Jose Mourinho was going to give him some opportunities at the beginning of the 2013/14 campaign, Kalas fractured his lower leg during pre-season and faced considerable time on the sidelines. Despite this not greatly affecting his qualities, he has never quite been able to get back in contention.
there is the prospect of a new defensive partnership growing at The Riverside
Things got even worse with a disastrous half year at FC Koln at the end of 2014, where his participation was limited to two reserve team appearances. He did, however, find himself appreciated again at Boro, so much so that he decided to stay and train with the team even after he became ineligible for their last few games.
Therefore this move will be bittersweet for Kalas. He will undoubtedly be happy to rejoin Karanka at a club where he feels wanted, but at 22 years old and with the likes of Kurt Zouma now seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, his time at Stamford Bridge may be coming to an end.
Having said that, all is not lost. With John Terry inching closer to retirement and Gary Cahill turning 30 years old this December as well, an impressive season at Boro may just catapult him back in contention come August 2016. With his competition including other academy graduates Andreas Christensen and Aké himself, he should not be so despondent about his future with the Blues.
More from Chelsea FC Loan Watch
- Chelsea: The €30m January signing who will highly excel with Pochettino’s appointment
- Chelsea loan Army: How Ian Maatsen has got on at Burnley
- What’s next for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as asking price revealed?
- The next man up for Chelsea: Left back Ian Maatsen
- The next man up for Chelsea: Center forward Mason Burstow
On the other hand, Aké may be more immediately at ease with the move up north. Only 20 years of age, this is exactly what the Dutch defender needs at this point in his career to aid his development. He has already made three times the number of appearances of Kalas in three seasons in West London and is reportedly very highly rated by Mourinho. Similarly, Aké will be looking to prove his worth at the reasonably high level that is the Championship.
For Chelsea fans, meanwhile, there is the prospect of a new defensive partnership growing at The Riverside. Should Karanka have Aké and Kalas as his starting centre-backs, it could potentially give birth to a defensive pairing that could sit at the core of Chelsea for years to come.
However, that is wishful thinking and the Blues will almost certainly import a more established defensive star as is the way in modern football.
But that’s looking much further down the line. For the moment both Chelsea prospects will be looking to make the most of the increased playing time and opportunities that they’ll receive next season and show Mourinho why they can be relied upon at the highest level.
So, Chelsea fans, what do you think? Will any of these two defenders ever become an established senior squad member? Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!
Next: Chelsea FC Transfer Rumors: Does Arda Turan Make Sense?