Chelsea still has a sizable loan contingent going into the new season. Who is who and what questions need to be asked ahead of the season?
Chelsea’s loan army used to be a club within itself. Following Michael Emenalo’s departure and the rumored introduction of restrictions, the Blues whittled down the size of the loan army. What used to be gargantuan is still larger than most clubs, but it is more manageable and focused now. Plus, with Frank Lampard as manager, there is a genuine pathway into the first team from the loan army. What questions need to be asked of it ahead of the new season?
1. Who is already loaned and worth keeping an eye on?
Chelsea’s been mostly moving players around in the lower levels of English football thus far. That was a change in policy that began a few years ago and it has worked well for the likes of Reece James.
Of course, the club is not loaning a player out this early if they know what they want to do with them. These players wouldn’t have had much of a chance at the club this season so they have been sent out to develop for the most part.
Trevoh Chalobah picked up what is perhaps the highest profile loan with FC Lorient in Ligue 1. This will give him top flight football for the first time in one of Europe’s big five leagues. The defender/sometimes holding midfielder will have his work cut out for him when they play Paris Saint-Germain.
Armando Broja finds himself on a throwback loan to Chelsea’s old loan army hot spot Vitesse. The young striker was given a debut under Frank Lampard last season and he will be looking to follow a similar development pathway as Mason Mount.
Marc Guehi is perhaps the player that stands out the most. Lampard gave him a big match last season against Manchester United and he did well. Given Chelsea’s defensive issues, it felt as though he had a shot to stay with the team. Another full season on the back of his half season last year with Swansea won’t hurt either though.
2. Who is rumored to join the loan army?
Malang Sarr is the one that is known to be fully earmarked for a loan. Chelsea acquired the player as a free agent at about the same time as Thiago Silva and it was made immediately clear that he was for loan. Bundesliga teams were interested and it seemed as though the Kai Havertz deal could play a part, but he is still waiting to find out his destination.
Conor Gallagher is perhaps the next highest profile to be exploring his options. Had the club not went out and signed Kai Havertz, it is entirely likely that Gallagher would have remained at Chelsea and been given a fair shot. Even in the one preseason friendly thus far, he looked excellent. Crystal Palace is leading the race but it has gone quiet. Regardless, he needs a Premier League club.
Ethan Ampadu is next despite his desire to stay and fight for a place. If the club is truly interested in a player like Declan Rice, then Rice and Ampadu become redundant with one another. Plus, after barely playing for two seasons, Ampadu needs as much of the field as possible. Chelsea cannot offer him that but another Premier League club can.
One also cannot forget about Fikayo Tomori who fell out of favor with Lampard last season. Silva’s arrival should make the decision an easy one, but the Englishman remains at the club for now. The Blues could be exploring other options for other players, but Tomori has to play if he stays.
Finally is the trio of Ian Maatsen, Tino Anjorin, and Lewis Bate. All three are highly rated players in the academy and Lampard has included them in squads. It is now time for the next step. None of the three have ruled out staying but a solid loan in the Championship could be big for their development.
3. Who is simply kicking about waiting for a transfer?
Despite Chelsea’s trimming down of the loan army in recent seasons, it is still full of plenty of players that are simply kicking about waiting for a permanent destination. Even with the loan army restrictions coming in at some point in the near future, the Blues still have plenty on their books that simply should not be for one reason or another.
Lucas Piazon’s time at Chelsea has come and gone. He has had a few chances but the vast majority of his contract has been spent out on loan. He is currently back at Portuguese club Rio Ave for a second season, which is the longest he has been in one place since Fulham.
There are a few other players that are heading towards a similar situation too. Danilo Pantic, Izzy Brown, Jamal Blackman, Kenedy, and Lewis Baker are all entering or are rumored to be entering another loan in a long series. Chelsea obviously doesn’t have plans for them anymore and they need to just find a buyer.
Transfers failing and the club getting caught holding the bag is a loan army issue too. Matt Miazga, Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, and Tiemoue Bakayoko standout. The latter two cost Chelsea big bucks to bring in before ultimately flopping. Drinkwater seems content with going out on loan and getting into fights. Bakayoko at least has had good spells ahead of a potential loan move to AC Milan. Zappacosta, meanwhile, spent most of last season injured so the club appears to be doing him a favor and ensuring he has a contract as he looks for a new club.
Michy Batshuayi will surely add himself to this list before too long. His Chelsea career has gone better out on loan than it has in Blue. The club is struggling to find a buyer this summer, so a loan can at least be used to get him out of the way and find a market for him.
What questions do you have about the loan army ahead of next season? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!