Chelsea veteran midfielder joins Stoke City after 17 years with club

Chelsea transfer targets have been in the news lately as the January window reaches the halfway point. The Blues have struggled with consistency this season following a plethora of injuries and numerous players battling COVID-19. The title race is officially over in the Premier League, it has been for a matter of weeks, but there is still a lot to play for this season. Chelsea can still win as many as five trophies, so improving the team during this transfer window is an absolute must.

Incoming transfers aren’t the only moves being made. The Blues must now facilitate a number of sales and loan moves away in order to fund these expensive bits of business. Thomas Tuchel has a massive squad and while that has helped at times this season, there is still too much depth in some areas. Players like Ross Barkley and Malang Sarr were linked with loans away this season, so they were on the radar heading into January. Another individual the club was unable to offload last summer—to the surprise of many supporters—was Lewis Baker. However, he becomes the first casualty of the winter window as the midfielder joins Stoke City on a permanent deal.

Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker joins Stoke City after 17 years in west London

Baker has spent the last 17 years at Chelsea is one capacity or another. He joined the Cobham academy from Luton Town in 2005. The Luton native graduated from the youth set-up and jumped into the senior game nine years later. The former England U21 midfielder made his debut for the Blues’ first team in the 2014 FA Cup against Derby County. Manager Jose Mourinho handed him just one of his two appearances for the senior team on an early January day. Baker embarked on his first loan to Sheffield Wednesday in the same month one year later, spending around one month with the Owls before joining MK Dons until the end of the season.

The 26-year-old enjoyed some of the best football of his career at MK Dons. Baker was a key figure in helping the club get promoted as his play alongside Dele Alli in midfield saw it finish second in League One. This success in the English third division saw Baker take his talents to Vitesse where he showed what he was truly capable of over 60+ matches. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career from there as he played for a number of different clubs (Middlesborough, Leeds United, Reading, Fortuna Dusseldorf and Trabzonspor) over a four-year period.

It was a surprise to everyone to see Baker even included in Tuchel’s preseason plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. However, the Euro 2020 competition being played in summer 2021 meant any warm bodies would do when players returned late from international duty. Baker filled in at centerback and would go on to remain with the Blues for the season. The academy graduate returned to Chelsea’s developmental ranks throughout much of the year, playing eight times in Premier League 2 as a central and defensive midfielder. He went on to make one final appearance for the senior side before his departure in the FA Cup against Chesterfield a few weeks ago.

Baker now joins a Stoke City side that sits just seven points off a playoff spot in England’s second division with two games in hand. The move will be hugely beneficial to all parties. The player gets an opportunity to establish himself in a senior squad for the first time in his career. The Potters get some much-needed help in the middle of the park. The Blues are able to get Baker off their books and recoup a small transfer fee for the Englishman. A win-win-win. Everyone at The Pride of London would like to thank Baker for his years of professionalism and commitment to the club.

What was your favorite memory of Baker at the club? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!