Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Jake Clarke-Salter (Part 6)

In Part 5 of this series, I broke down Trevoh Chalobah’s career at Chelsea and discussed what his future in football looks like. For those who haven’t read the introductory piece to this series, a different player will be the subject of a new article every day. I began with goalkeepers and am currently in the process of working my way up the pitch, with each position group being sorted in order by the way in which they appear on the club’s website.

As I move on with the loan army series, I continue the deep dive into the defensive loanees with Jake Clarke-Salter. Clarke-Salter is a unique name in this series as he is the first player profiled to have actually made an appearance in-game for Chelsea’s first team. His career has been a bit odd to say the least, but he’s one of the most intriguing prospects in the Blues’ loan army. Let’s get into the career path on Clarke-Salter before deciding his future with the club.

More from Chelsea FC Loan Watch

• Chelsea: The €30m January signing who will highly excel with Pochettino’s appointment
• Chelsea loan Army: How Ian Maatsen has got on at Burnley
• What’s next for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as asking price revealed?
• The next man up for Chelsea: Left back Ian Maatsen
• The next man up for Chelsea: Center forward Mason Burstow

What does Jake Clarke-Salter’s Chelsea career look like?

Clarke-Salter joined the club in 2006 as an under-9 prospect. He spent just one season in the Chelsea academy as he departed for Sutton United in 2007. After a brief period with the south London outfit, he returned to west London and has been a part of the club ever since. During his time in the youth ranks, Clarke-Salter went on to captain the U18 side en route to their two FA Youth Cup victories and capturing of the UEFA Youth League.

As a 17-year-old, he joined Jose Mourinho’s senior side for their preseason tour in the United States. Despite his inclusion on tour, Clarke-Salter remained in the youth ranks for another few months before Guus Hiddink named his as a substitute against Stoke City. He was an unused substitute, it was an important development in the young defender’s career nonetheless. The Blues’ long-term loss of Kurt Zouma due to that injury saw Clarke-Salter make the unofficial jump up into the first team’s training.

He made his professional debut at the age of 18, replacing Pedro and slotting in as left back at Villa Park. The Blues went on to win the match 4-0 and Clarke-Salter saw out the last 15-20 minutes of the contest. He received praise from John Terry following his brief outing, which is something not many individuals can claim.

Clarke-Salter failed to make any further appearances for the first team that season. As a result, he went out on loan for the first time during the 2016/17 season. His first season-long loan took him to League One’s Bristol Rovers, where his nightmare began. Clarke-Salter was injured during international duty and was unable to join the Pirates right away. Shortly after recovering and settling in with the club, he returned to Cobham once again following a broken arm. The 19-year-old managed to make it back in time to travel to Bristol to finish out the season, but only managed 13 appearances overall.

His potential alone saw him progress, following up his Bristol Rovers spell with a stay at Chelsea and subsequent move to Sunderland (then still a Championship side). Clarke-Salter signed a new deal and was given a place in the Blues’ squad. He managed to make the bench for the first time in an FA Cup game against Norwich, but went on to be an unused substitute, which saw him loaned out. His Sunderland spell was once again seen as an overall failure. Clarke-Salter played 13 times, but his loan spell was tarnished by back-to-back red cards and the fact the Black Cats got relegated.

Clarke-Salter’s next move during the 2018/19 season saw him take the route of nearly every other Chelsea loanee when he spent the year with Vitesse. He scored his only goal during his debut and his 28 matches played assisted Vitesse in finishing fifth in the league. His performances with the Dutch club earned him yet another new deal following his return.

Most recently, the now-23-year-old has played for Birmingham City. He appeared in 23 matches for the Blues over the course of the 2019/20 season, which earned him a second consecutive loan move to the Championship side for the current campaign. Unfortunately, an injury at the beginning of the season has made it difficult for Clarke-Salter to find his footing. He’s played in just 11 games this season, tallying just over 800 minutes on the pitch.

This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Clarke-Salter this summer?

Verdict: Sell

This is the toughest decision I’ve had to make yet. I don’t think there’s any denying the fact that Clarke-Salter is a very talented footballer, and I personally love his game. Regardless of my opinion, it’s time for the Blues to move on from the defender.

It’d once again be in the best interest of both parties at this point. Clarke-Salter needs time to establish himself into one particular side without worrying whether he’ll be at the same club in the following months. On the other hand, he turns 24 in September and Chelsea simply doesn’t have time to wait on him any longer. In Marc Guehi and Ethan Ampadu, the Blues have younger and more improved prospects in their loan army. Rumor has it the board is looking to dip into its transfer funds for a new centerback, so there is no point in stringing Clarke-Salter along. His contract expires a year from when he returns from Birmingham this summer; the club needs to cash in while it still can.

Remember to check back with The Pride of London each and every day as I dive into the largely uncharted world of Chelsea’s famous loan army. Part 7’s subject is defender Marc Guehi.