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Chelsea FC’s poor management haunting them in Dominic Solanke saga

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

Dominic Solanke of Vitesse during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Vitesse Arnhem and Excelsior Rotterdam at Gelredome on January 30, 2016 in Arnhem, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Dominic Solanke of Vitesse during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Vitesse Arnhem and Excelsior Rotterdam at Gelredome on January 30, 2016 in Arnhem, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /
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Dominic Solanke, one of the Chelsea FC’s most promising youngsters, may be on his way out of the club after reportedly refusing several offers of contract renewal.

In unwelcome news, the latest reports claim that Chelsea FC may be set to lose Dominic Solanke after contract negotiations between the parties stalled. Unfortunately, with the club’s poor record in dealing with youngsters, this is not terribly surprising.

According to the Daily Mail, Solanke has so far batted back several renewal offers and the Blues brass are becoming worried that his mind might be decided on a departure.

"Chelsea fear they will lose highly-rated teenager Dominic Solanke after reaching an impasse over a new deal. Solanke, 18, has one year left on the contract he signed in September 2014 and has so far rejected the club’s efforts to agree a new one."

The striker has been in the Blues academy system since joining at under-8s level. However, he could be on the verge of severing his ties with the club as he goes in search of first-team football.

Solanke was sent out to Vitesse last summer to spend the season with the Dutch outfit. He has garnered considerable minutes in the Eredivisie, turning out 24 times and scoring seven goals.

Now, at the age of 18, he has reached an important stage in his career. Solanke is highly rated by Chelsea management but the forward knows that he cannot afford to waste much more time on loan or on the bench. If he is to fulfill his potential, he needs to start testing himself at the top level. In modern football, 18 is the point at which the world’s finest start to make an impact.

Chelsea have a notorious record when it comes to managing their young talent. While the academy players are severely gifted, winning trophy after trophy, very few of them have made the leap to the senior squad. Those few that have (Ruben Loftus-Cheek) have seen their development stall by a lack of game time.

(L-R) Dominic Solanke of Vitesse, Joel Veltman of Ajax during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Vitesse Arnhem and Ajax Amsterdam at Gelredome on October 25, 2015 in Arnhem, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
(L-R) Dominic Solanke of Vitesse, Joel Veltman of Ajax during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Vitesse Arnhem and Ajax Amsterdam at Gelredome on October 25, 2015 in Arnhem, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /

Solanke is evidently concerned about his prospects at Stamford Bridge and rightly so. It’s not enjoyable to admit, but an exit may just be the best thing for him.

Antonio Conte is set to bring wholesale changes with him when he takes over, but there is little indication that he will shake up the club’s youth policy. Chelsea have been linked with a number of foreign imports with little talk of promotion from within. In fact, another promising talent in Charly Musonda is close to extending his loan spell with Real Betis.

The Blues have been stubborn in their approach to developing young talent and their failures have been reflected in this season’s disasters. Now, the club has reached the tipping point and some of the most promising players are looking to get out while their careers are still ahead of them.

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Whether Solanke is sold before his contract expires or leaves for free remains to be seen. All that is certain is that Chelsea have no-one else to blame.

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