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Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Tariq Uwakwe (Part 27)

By Gabe Henderson

ACCRINGTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: Tariq Uwakwe of Accrington Stanley and Gavin Whyte of Hull City in action during the Sky Bet League One match between Accrington Stanley and Hull City at The Crown Ground on January 26, 2021 in Accrington, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus)
ACCRINGTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: Tariq Uwakwe of Accrington Stanley and Gavin Whyte of Hull City in action during the Sky Bet League One match between Accrington Stanley and Hull City at The Crown Ground on January 26, 2021 in Accrington, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus) /
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In Part 26 of this series, I broke down Marco van Ginkel’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 conclude the deep dive into the midfield loanees with Tariq Uwakwe. Uwakwe rounds out the three-man group of Blues loanees who currently play their football at Accrington Stanley. Uwakwe is one of Chelsea’s youngest and most recent loanees, which also means he’s one of the lesser known individuals.

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What does Tariq Uwakwe’s Chelsea career look like?

Uwakwe was born in Islington, a district inside London, in 1999. He joined his hometown club, Chelsea, as an 8-year-old. Uwakwe is a versatile player capable of playing as a No. 8 or 10 (his favorite positions) or even as a winger. Despite the positional flexibility, it is Uwakwe’s goal scoring prowess that has earned him praise throughout the academy.

He began making serious strides within the Blues’ youth ranks when he got his first taste of playing with the U18s in the 2015/16 season. Uwakwe made six total appearances before officially becoming a scholar the following campaign. After being named a scholar, the midfielder played a prominent role in the treble-winning team. Uwakwe played in every single FA Youth Cup contest bar one. His go-ahead goal against Liverpool in the aforementioned competition gave Chelsea 1-0 victory and helped the Blues progress further in the tournament. As expected, they went on to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

Uwakwe played an even more important role in the side the season after, making 42 total appearances. To the surprise of nobody, he continued to score decisive goals. The north London native also made his UEFA Youth League debut a few months into the campaign. Uwakwe signed his first professional contract with the Blues following his 17th birthday. The deal ran until the end of the year.

It was in the same season that the youngster hinted at an early international team decision. Although Uwakwe was born in England, he is of Nigerian descent. Regardless of this, he chose to sport the Three Lions’ badge with their U19 and U20 sides. His international standing and mature performances with the youth teams earned him an extension of his contract until 2022. Uwakwe found himself on the sideline with an injury to begin the 2019/20 season. It took him three months to recover, but following his return to fitness, he joined the developmental side. The midfielder went on to make 11 appearances before the year’s conclusion.

Uwakwe embarked on his first loan spell away from Chelsea at the beginning of this season. He joined League One’s Accrington Stanley on a one-year deal. Uwakwe has played in 21 games across League One, the FA Cup and EFL Trophy. In these matches, he’s totaled four goals and four assists.

This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Uwakwe this summer?

Verdict: Sell

Once again, I’m going to be a bit harsh. Uwakwe is just 21 years old and coming off a fairly significant injury last season. For these reasons alone, it’s unfair to rule out any chance he has at playing for the Blues in the future. Nevertheless, it’s what I’m going to do. Chelsea has a handful of midfielders in its ranks who are both younger and more talented than Uwakwe. The midfielder also has just 12 months remaining on his deal come June. He’ll be 22 later this year and the fact he’s still playing League One football isn’t encouraging in the slightest. Uwakwe is a very fine footballer, he just simply isn’t Chelsea first team material right now.

Next. Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Marco van Ginkel (Part 26). dark

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 28’s subject is forward Michy Batshuayi.

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