Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea Empire Part 2: Loan army and academy

Chelsea has an interesting history in the transfer market. In the past five years, the business has been relatively poor. More often than not, the club has settled for their second or even third choice in a position, and most of these transfers have been absolute nightmares.

The common consensus is that the club often buys “squad” players capable of backups but who don’t have the pedigree to play in the Premier League week in and week out. Be it the Davide Zappacostas, the Emersons, or the Michy Batshuayis, it has gotten to the point where the board struggles to find clubs for these players, and no one seems to agree with Chelsea’s valuation.

The perfect example of this situation is Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Frenchman has been out on loan for the past couple of years and has played decent football. However, whenever Chelsea tries to move him on a permanent transfer, the deal falls through because no one seems to match our valuation.

The transfer ban and Frank Lampard’s approach changed the situation to an extent as the gaffer chose to trust young players from the loan army and the academy. He allowed Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham to flourish and become crucial members of the squad. While Tuchel ghosted Abraham, Mount and James went on to lift the Champions League trophy with stellar performances throughout the competition. This shows that the academy has the quality to perform at the highest level if given the opportunity.

Lampard brought a change in culture, and Tuchel should trust the academy as well. The approach in the transfer market should be simple. Either secure your first choice targets in the important positions or don’t sign anyone at all. Rather than settling for backup options, Tuchel should give opportunities to young prospects. For example, if we fail to sign Romelu Lukaku or Erling Haaland, Abraham could be given a shot in the preseason rather than signing a backup option.

According to multiple reports, Tuchel and his team are really interested in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and that is genuinely refreshing to see. Loftus-Cheek had a world-class season with Maurizio Sarri, and he deserves one last chance at Chelsea. Similarly, Billy Gilmour has secured a loan move to Norwich City, which looks like a well thought out move. Norwich City plays a system that is similar to Chelsea’s, and Gilmour could benefit from this move! These are all positive signs that indicate that Tuchel is prepared to take a look at the loan army and take a constructive approach.

All in all, the previous two seasons have shown that the club and the board can secure the right transfers and include the academy at the same time. While Tuchel needs to be backed in the market, he also needs to look at the loan army and academy. This is a chance for Chelsea to build a dynasty, with statement signings in the market and a proper pipeline for academy talents. It is time for the club to look towards the future and build something for the long term, a culture that has been missing at Stamford Bridge for a while.