Chelsea and Vitesse’s relationship reaches a new level of weird

Chelsea and Vitesse have been tight for years now. But the resigning of Eduardo and subsequent loan means it has reached a new level.

Chelsea and Vitesse have been tied to each other for nearly a decade now. Roman Abramovich pulled strings to create a feeder club of sorts. Player after player has gone on loan to Vitesse for playing time, often with three or more a year.

The relationship advanced further when Abramovich pulled strings to put his friend Leonid Slutsky in as manager. Abramovich had already helped him get the Hull City job, but when that failed Slutsky was hooked up again.

But the latest link between the clubs is even stranger. It starts with third choice keeper Eduardo. The Portuguese keeper signed for the Blues two years ago and has played exactly zero minutes for the clubs. He was released when his contract expired this summer. Except, according to reports the Blues changed their mind and offered him another year. And then they started talks with Vitesse for a one year loan.

Keep in mind, Eduardo has not played for Chelsea because he is not ready. He has not played for the Blues because he is past his expiration date. At 35, he would be the oldest player in the loan army. He may even be Chelsea’s oldest loanee ever.

But again, Eduardo was released. He was a free agent. Vitesse would not have had to pay any type of transfer fee for him. It would have only cost wages to acquire him. So why did Chelsea do this?

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The prevailing theory is that Vitesse could not afford Eduardo’s wages alone. So Chelsea swoops in and offers Eduardo either the same amount of money or more compared to his previous contract. Then they loan him to Vitesse while paying a part of his wages. That lowers the cost for Vitesse and makes the move viable for them.

That means the Blues are paying for a player who they released simply to help Vitesse out. More than anything, that is a gift to Vitesse for years and years of training Chelsea loanees and providing them opportunities.

Eduardo means that Chelsea is willing to give as well as they get. It means that, to the Blues, Vitesse is not just a place to store players. Vitesse is a partner in a symbiotic relationship that now appears to have the ability to go both ways.

There may come a day that Chelsea and Vitesse advance even further down the relationship path. Perhaps the Blues send a youth team manager there for his first managerial experience. Perhaps older Chelsea players looking to play in Europe land there.

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Regardless, the relationship is going strong, though in a stranger way. The Eduardo news, if proven true, is completely random but makes perfect sense. The Blues want to help a team that has helped them immensely over the years. Eduardo is just a small way to return the favor. And if this greases the wheels for another decade of loans, so be it.