Chelsea loaning Jake Clarke-Salter to Vitesse for all the right reasons

Jake Clarke-Salter will take the well-trodden path to Vitesse on loan after a season spent on the Chelsea bench and then fighting relegation with Sunderland. The 20-year old will be a replacement for Matt Miazga.

Jake Clarke-Salter bounced back from his torrid time at Sunderland as he won the Toulon Tournament with the England U-21s this summer. Now the Chelsea academy graduate has joined Vitesse on loan for the 2018/19 season.

Vitesse lost both of last season’s starting centerbacks and are looking to replace outgoing quality with quality. Fellow Chelsea loanee Matt Miazga will move on to bigger and better things after a stellar season. Veteran captain Guram Kashia has decided to join MLS franchise San Jose Earthquakes. This leaves the left-sided centerback, previously held by Miazga, is there for the taking.

However, Clarke-Salter is a very different player to Miazga. Where Miazga is a classic defender who needed to learn to use the ball, Clarke-Salter needs to hone his defensive skills. This is a perfect opportunity for him to do so.

Jake Clarke-Salter broke on to Chelsea’s scene as a 16-year old partnering Andreas Christensen in defense in the semi-final of the victorious FA Youth Cup campaign of 2013-14. His strong performance against Arsenal preserved his place for the rest of the campaign. This would be the first of the three FA Youth Cups for Clarke-Salter, placing him along Jay Dasilva in a very select group of individuals.

Following his successful debut campaign at the U18 level, he was named captain for 2014/15 and established himself at the U21 level as well. In a particularly impressive crop of youngsters, Clarke-Salter managed to stand out with his ability to pass the ball. His pinpoint left-footed switches to the right flank became a key feature of Chelsea attacks. He continued to feature at the heart of England’s U19 and then U20 defenses. His crowning moment of glory in an England shirt came in the summer of 2017 as he lifted the U20 World Cup.

While his career at youth levels for both club and country has been exceptional, he has not had as much luck at the professional level. He went on loan to Bristol Rovers at the start of 2016/17 season. While in establishing himself in the starting lineup, a fractured arm derailed his season.

Clarke-Salter spent the pre-season of 2017/18 season with the Chelsea first team after returning from the successful U20 World Cup run. He even made an appearance off the bench in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest. Ultimately, he left on loan in January in search of playing time. He joined the floundering Sunderland in the Championship as they fought to stave off relegation. Sunderland’s manager at the time, Chris Coleman, was a vocal supporter of Clarke-Salter and placed great faith in him. Sadly, injuries and suspensions meant Clarke-Salter could not help save the sinking ship that was Sunderland.

Clarke-Salter clearly needs playing time at a good level. The Eredivisie places a lot of emphasis on on centerbacks’ ability to pass and create. This suits his strengths perfectly.

Vitesse manager Leonid Slutsky has a great relationship with Chelsea. He spent the better part of 2016-/7 season in and around the academy studying Chelsea’s players. He knows the level of players who come through the academy. Slutsky showed he is very willing to put trust in Chelsea prospects during his short stint at Hull City.

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Everything about this loan move is falling into place perfectly. A young talented player, at a club which has a great need in his position, under a manager who trusts young players is a recipe for success. If Clarke-Salter can stay fit and has a great time at Vitesse, he will be one step closer to the Chelsea first team.