Chelsea: Three lessons learned against Lyon for final moves and lineups

3. Forwards: Loan suits Tammy Abraham best

Tammy Abraham’s best prospect for staying with the first team this season was a loan or transfer for Michy Batshuayi. The World Cup interrupted the early interest of Borussia Dortmund, but the last three weeks have yielded few rumours, let alone movement.

With Batshuayi, Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud set to stay, Chelsea should find a Premier League loan for Abraham. He showed against Lyon he is not ready to threaten Batshuayi’s place as the third striker on the depth chart. Even if Maurizio Sarri switches to a two-striker formation, Abraham will be lucky to be a substitute in the domestic cups this season. This would stall his development and disrupt Chelsea’s pipeline, which could still bring him into the first team next season.

The main constraints on a loan for Abraham are a Premier League team with an effective playmaker. Abraham, like Morata, needs quality service to be effective. Chelsea could not muster any against Lyon, and Abraham’s performance was as empty as Morata’s on Sunday. Abraham had the right teammates and tactics in his first season at Bristol City. Now he needs to recapture and extend that experience in the top flight.

After next season, Olivier Giroud will be out of contract at Chelsea. They may start him on the series of one-year extensions or they may simply part ways. If Alvaro Morata does not meet expectations for his second season, Chelsea may swallow their pride and their club record fee and move him along. He wants to fight for his place at Chelsea and redeem his first season, but if that does not pan out he will be quite satisfied – personally and professionally – with a return to Italy.

And if the Blues cannot find a role worthy of Michy Batshuayi, the most good-natured man in football will finally have enough and force a move. Borussia Dortmund and many other clubs will take him and use him the way Chelsea have not. This is the make-or-break year for their relationship, as his abilities are scarcely in doubt.

This all means Tammy Abraham has three potential openings next season, as opposed to zero this season. He will still only be 21 years old, and will be approaching Chelsea’s desired 150 games of senior-level experience.

As long as the Blues get the loan destination right – a Premier League club with a playmaker – spending one more season away will do the most good.