Chelsea winter evaluation: The youth to consider for next season
By Travis Tyler
Chelsea may be able to buy in the summer, but do not assume that means the youth revolution will stop. Who has a shot at a spot next season?
The evaluation will be less about performances thus far and more about potential. Frank Lampard rang in the youth revolution with the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, Mason Mount, and Tammy Abraham with Billy Gilmour on the fringe. Just below that was another group that included the since departed Tariq Lamptey, Marc Guehi, Ian Maatsen, and Tino Anjorin. Who has a shot at the squad next season from the loan army and the academy?
The goalkeepers
It feels like it has been every single year that Chelsea’s top academy keeper has been the real deal. They all seem to have reflexes of a cat and agility of a gazelle. None of them ever really get a shot at the first team though.
Despite Lampard ringing in the youth revolution, the plan for the keepers has remained the same. They are loaned out to clubs they will start at with the difficulty increasing almost every loan if they do well. Keepers do develop quite differently than other positions so keeping the plan in place does make some sense.
The three who most stand out are Jamie Cumming, Nathan Baxter, and Jamal Blackman. Cumming is the only one currently at Chelsea and, with Kepa Arrizabalaga’s current issues and Willy Caballero being Willy Caballero, he may get a chance yet. Baxter has been getting rave reviews in Scotland. Blackman was on a steady rise and is now recovering from a big injury, so he seems the least likely to stay.
Given Caballero is likely to depart and Chelsea will be looking for a new keeper, the time may be now to integrate someone into the first team.
The likelihood any of them stay: It makes a ton of sense to use a backup and/or third keeper spot on someone homegrown. If Chelsea is willing to break away from having a veteran backup, they have the keepers capable of filling in.