Chelsea’s youth academy: Does it matter if most never play for Chelsea?

Chelsea’s young players will always cause controversy. This summer is no different. With Nathan Ake sold to Bournemouth and rumours of Nathanial Chalobah demanding a move, many fans are revisiting the old question: why don’t the ‘youth’ prosper at Chelsea?

Really, that is not the question we should be asking. What we should be asking is: is the end goal always to prosper at Chelsea, or just to prosper? The role of the academy is not necessarily to prepare players for life in Chelsea’s first team.

The academy’s purpose is to develop potential stars and give them the opportunity to show their skills for any club who may want them. Chelsea are not responsible for their career as a Blue, but their career overall. This is why going on loan or leaving the club can be the best option for everyone involved.

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Loans are in the players’ best interest, simple as that. The have become a standing joke (see: Vitesse), but they are valuable. Worrying that loan spells mean the player misses out at Chelsea only misses the point. Would you rather a player sits on the bench with no game-time or goes to Watford on loan to develop? It is always better for a player of any level to be playing football than not.

Further, not every youth player sent on loan will be to Chelsea’s standard when they return. Just because a player has spent time away and did well does not mean he would fit into the first team. And that is fine – those loan spells have built his name and skill.

Take Isaiah Brown, for example. He has succeeded at every loan. He is known for being a promising young player, not a kid who can not move up. But he has played for lower league sides. There is no guarantee that impressing with Huddersfield would cement his place back at Stamford Bridge. They have two different standards and need to be viewed as such.

It is always better for a player of any level to be playing football than not.

On the other hand, we need to accept that a player like Chalobah or Ake wanting to leave permanently is fine, too. They need to prioritise their development. One of the arguments is that they should be grateful to have the chance at Chelsea and that’s it. But they are all ambitious and hard-working individuals. They should be allowed to move on if they feel that is best.

Ake was recalled from loan in January, which gave a lot of hope that we would see the young defender progress at Chelsea. But he and Conte have clearly communicated since then. Ake now knows he would be better off moving away from the club.

We cannot expect players to stay simply because they are at a big club. Conte knows what he’s doing – I trust his plans more than I trust Ake’s potential. And if Ake feels that he would be better off at Bournemouth, then good for him. He deserves to play regularly. It does not really matter if it is with Chelsea or not.

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Obviously, it can be frustrating when Chelsea have an abundance of young, good players and still continue to buy new transfers instead. It can seem that the club is hindering the progress of the youngsters and we miss out in the long-term. But most clubs do not focus on youth. Chelsea have a successful youth team and loan system which is why they’re always the focus of such discussions. But they are not alone.

If anything, Chelsea knows how to best utilise the players they have. The successes of the players, both at home and away, proves this. Chelsea’s role should be to lead the way in competitiveness and trophy winning. The youth may fit into that sometimes, as we saw with Ake in the FA Cup semi-final.

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But if they do not fit into that aim, there are always other, good options out there.