The Chelsea FC Loan Report, Part 1: The Chelsea Expendables
Shouldn’t Chelsea Sell The Expendables?
Perhaps the best place to start is to consider why Chelsea bought the players in the first place and why they are now no longer required.
Salah, Cuadrado and Marin all have something in common. Having built a reputation for exciting football and represented their national team at major tournaments, all three men are fast, lightweight, skilful wingers.
With Chelsea favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation in recent years, it is not surprising that the club has searched far and wide to fill the attacking 3 positions, but competition is fierce. With Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian the regulars behind the lone striker and Jose Mourinho consistently sticking with those he most trusts, game time is always going to be limited and opportunities to impress all too rare.
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Unfortunately for the Chelsea expendables they only managed 35 games combined in the short time that they played at the club.
However, the fees spent by the Blues to bring these three players into the club totals £40.8m. This isn’t an insignificant amount, even for a club as rich as the Blues.
Here lies the cause of Chelsea’s insistence in loaning out players who have arrived at the club with good reputations and ability, but have ultimately failed to deliver.
Where Financial Fair Play restrictions are at the forefront of the minds of decision makers at football clubs around the world, a significant outlay must show a return on investment.
So if Chelsea were to buy three players for a combined amount of £40.8m and those same individuals go on to play poorly and be left out of the team as a result, their value would decrease with every minute spent not playing.
It is here where the club effectively takes advantage of the loan market.
By sending an under-performing player to a big club in their respective league, this tactic enables Chelsea to help rebuild the reputation and form of the expendable, thus increasing their potential resale value.
Salah is a prime example of a player rejuvenated during his time at Fiorentina last season. It was conceivable that he could have been sold this summer, but Chelsea clearly felt that they wouldn’t fully recoup their £11m outlay, so allowed the Egyptian to go back to Italy on loan.
In Italy and Turkey, Chelsea have found willing partners in this win-win solution. The Blues remove a weakness from their squad in the hope that the player, determined to reach their previous performance levels, excels to such an extent that he comes back an improved player or his value has increased to a point where the club will be happy to sell.
In Roma, Fiorentina and Trabzonspor, Chelsea would already have buyers waiting in the wings and what fantastic business that would be.
Make sure that you stick with us at The Pride Of London for Parts 2 and 3 of the Chelsea FC Loan Report.
Next: Chelsea FC vs Crystal Palace: Post-Match Reflections