Chelsea keep crossing paths with Bolton Wanderers’ 2010/11 squad

Bolton Wanderers are not the most glamourous source of transfers, but they are among the most reliable for Chelsea. The Blues have an unusually close and persistent relationship with Bolton’s 2010/11 squad.

“Send him back to Bolton!” This was a regular sight on Twitter (or NewsNow Top Stories) throughout the 2017/18 season. The only real variation was whether it was ignorantly slating Marcos Alonso’s performance at left wing-back or reflexively summoning the end of Gary Cahill’s time at Chelsea. The fundamental idea was the same, though. Neither player was worthy of wearing Blue. The pair belonged at a club that was mid-table in the Premier League when they were last there, and narrowly escaped relegation to League One in their most recent season.

Bolton’s 2010/11 squad has had a lasting influence on Chelsea. Cahill and Alonso did not know they would become Blues, but they played alongside someone who already was one. Daniel Sturridge spent the season on loan there. He scored eight goals in 12 games, the best scoring rate of any Wanderer by some distance. Far better than Rodrigo Moreno, a 19-year old loanee from Benfica. He had only one goal and half the minutes of Sturridge.

The tables would turn seven years later, as Rodrigo would cross paths – one degree removed – with his now-Blue teammates. Rodrigo took Spain’s final centre-forward spot for the 2018 World Cup, leaving Alvaro Morata out of the squad. Spain’s manager Julen Lopetegui called it “a painful decision,” as Morata “deserved to be here.”

But “Rodrigo can play in three areas and always has a great attitude with the team.” And so another former Bolton Wanderer goes on to greatness, this time at Chelsea’s expense.

From his inauspicious loan at Bolton, Rodrigo shuttled between Benfica’s squad and Benfica’s loan army. Benfica sold him to Valencia in 2015, and last season he led Valencia with 16 goals and four assists. He created only three more league goals than Morata (11 goals plus six assists), but his overall performance, movement and perhaps resiliency persuaded Lopetegui.

Bolton’s class of 2010/11 has won a handful of trophies at Chelsea, who have won everything there is to win in the intervening years; and through Rodrigo Moreno’s Portuguese leagues and cups at Benfica. The Blues should learn a few lessons from their earlier experiences with Bolton as they head into a chaotic, headless and difficult transfer window.

First, Premier League loans are the best option for player development. Any top-tier loan is the next best. Chelsea are improving on this front, sending more of their top prospects around the Premier League than in recent years. They must not let Michael Emenalo’s departure and lack of a technical director derail their progress. A loan to 14th-place Bolton likely did more for Daniel Sturridge than being stashed somewhere on the continent, and definitely more than a lower-tier English club. Benfica would likely agree regarding Rodrigo.

Second, they should not neglect the Premier League – even the middle of the table – as a source of transfers. Few Bolton watchers in 2011 would have predicted Gary Cahill’s trophy case, or his rise to be Chelsea’s and occassionally England’s captain. They certainly would not have foreseen Marcos Alonso’s emergence as one of the world’s best wing-backs. Nor that his ability as a wing-back would make him a consideration for the World Cup team alongside – of all people – Rodrigo.

Some of Chelsea’s most important players arrived at Stamford Bridge on small fees from unheralded clubs with minimal pedigree. Along with Cahill and Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta comes to mind. Marseille is a strong club, but no one rated Azpilicueta to provide more value than his £7 million fee. The Blues will still need their high-value top prospects or proven stars: Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and – yes – Alvaro Morata. But a well-built team balances those with the boys from Bolton.

Next: Ruben Loftus-Cheek can be 2018's James Rodriguez

Perhaps the next time someone tweets “Go back to Bolton!” they will be telling it to the club, not a player.