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Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Series conclusion

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea embraces Mason Mount of Chelsea following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 04, 2021 in London, 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 Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea embraces Mason Mount of Chelsea following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 04, 2021 in London, 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 Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 04: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea embraces Mason Mount of Chelsea following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 04, 2021 in London, 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 Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 04: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea embraces Mason Mount of Chelsea following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 04, 2021 in London, 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 Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

Chelsea has built a reputation in world football over the last decade or so for its unique loan perspective. The Blues use the game’s loan system as a method of development for academy players or young purchases. This has seen the Chelsea academy turn into one of the world’s finest developers of talent. Players like Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all recent examples of those who came up through the academy, with many more making their way to the forefront of European football in the near future. The plethora of players employed by the Blues and temporarily sent out have earned this list the title of loan army.

Over the last 30+ days, I have analyzed the past, present and future of every member of the Blues’ current loan army. This was not only a series to help Chelsea fans learn more about the players that are often not discussed, but also to help decide what their future holds. The list of 33 will soon be cut down significantly due to FIFA’s new loan regulations. The new rules are set to take effect this summer, capping the number of players aged 22 or older a club can loan out at eight. That number will be further reduced for the 2022/23 season to six.

Therefore, over the last month, I have also categorized each loanee into three groups—keep, loan and sell. Of course, there are a few exceptions in the group and a handful of players who earned multiple designations. This piece will serve as a recap and conclusion to the series as I take a look back at the decisions I’ve made and compile them all into one convenient location. I will take a look at each group and eventually cut the 2021/22 loan army down to meet FIFA’s regulations. Let’s begin with the ‘keep’ category.

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