Every Chelsea loanee ranked by success this season so far
Over the years, Chelsea have earned a bad reputation for their use of the loan system.
Every season, the Blues send away a plethora of players to clubs over the globe either to train them for their first team, like Andreas Christensen or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, or to add value to their selling price, à la Nathan Ake.
At the same time, there have been failures with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah struggling to break through the loan cycle before being off-loaded and coming back to haunt Chelsea later on.
https://audioboom.com/posts/7304751-lampard-s-chelsea-midfield-set-up-will-be-inspired-by-his-ancelotti-days
However, following Chelsea’s transfer ban, their controversial loan policy may have finally proven to be useful. With a whole batch of talented players at their disposal, it is likely that many will finally get a first-team chance. This combined with new manager Frank Lampard’s eagerness to give youth a chance means that we could see some serial-loanees make their mark at Stamford Bridge this season.
But who has forced their way into the frame and who is still nowhere near the first-team picture?
Squawka takes a look, and ranks the 42 – yes FORTY-TWO – Chelsea players currently out on loan below.
Lucas Piazon becomes the 42nd Chelsea player officially out on loan.
Here is their entire army. 🤪 pic.twitter.com/7Q70FHE9Pj
— Squawka (@Squawka) January 31, 2019
42. Charly Musonda
Club: Vitesse Arnhem
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 22
League appearances: 1
Musonda’s bad luck with injuries continues. The Belgium Under-21 international made just one appearance for Vitesse this season because of a knee problem.
41. Isaiah Brown
Club: Leeds United
Position: Forward
Age: 22
League appearances: 1
Izzy Brown has made just two substitute appearances for Leeds this season, including against Derby in the playoffs, but it is not entirely his fault. The youngster spent most of the season out recovering from surgery on a cruciate ligament injury he suffered while on loan at Brighton and has only recently returned to fitness.
40. Karlo Ziger
Club: Sutton United
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 17
League appearances: 0
The case of Ziger is a strange one, with the goalkeeper frequently returning to represent Chelsea at youth level despite being loaned out to Sutton United. Ziger made one appearance for his loan side, in the FA Trophy against Spennymoor.
39. Lucas Piazon
Club: Chievo Verona
Position: Forward
Age: 25
League appearances: 4
Lucas Piazon has had a strange season, being named in Chelsea’s Premier League squad without being named in a matchday squad. In January, the Brazilian joined Serie A strugglers Chievo but managed just four appearances.
38. Jared Thompson
Club: Warrenpoint Town
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 20
League appearances: 5
It can be hard for a young goalkeeper to make the switch from youth to senior football, and Thompson endured a tough time in the Northern Ireland Premiership. The 20-year-old conceded at least four goals three times in the league, though he did keep a clean sheet in his other two appearances.
37. Jack Wakely
Club: Basingstoke Town
Position: Centre-back
Age: 18
League appearances: n/a
The defender joined Chelsea’s Academy as an Under-9 and progressed through the ranks before signing his first professional deal in 2017.
His contract expires in 2020 and a loan in the Southern League Premier Division South suggests he will not secure a new one.
36. Josimar Quintero
Club: Lleida Esportiu
Position: Central midfield
Age: 22
League appearances: 16
After a slow start to the season, Quintero became more involved at Spanish third division side Lleida, playing both as a winger and central midfielder. However, he only completed one full match.
35. Baba Rahman
Clubs: Schalke, Reims
Position: Left-back
Age: 24
League appearances: 11
Rahman struggled to get into the Schalke team in his third successive season at the club and eventually returned to Chelsea before being loaned out to Reims. The left-back made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 and scored in an impressive 3-1 over PSG in the final game of the season.
34. Christian Pulisic
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Winger
Age: 20
League appearances: 20
Christian Pulisic may have made 20 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund last season, but only nine came since the American officially became a Chelsea player and re-joined the German club on loan. The 20-year-old did not have the best of seasons, struggling to displace those ahead of him while also dealing with minor injury problems.
33. Kylian Hazard
Club: Cercle Brugge
Position: Left-winger
Age: 23
League appearances: 18
The lesser-known of the Hazard footballing clan, Kylian did not make his Cercle Brugge debut until mid-October but barely missed a game since, scoring four goals in 18 matches. His form this season convinced Cercle Brugge to make the move permanent with Hazard recently signing a four-year contract.
32. Josh Grant
Club: Yeovil Town
Position: Centre-back
Age: 20
League appearances: 8
Grant joined Yeovil in January and made eight League Two appearances. The 20-year-old was tested at centre-back, right-back and defensive midfield but was unable to help turn Yeovil’s fortunes around.
31. Fankaty Dabo
Club: Sparta Rotterdam
Position: Right-back
Age: 23
League appearances: 23
Fankaty Dabo had tested himself at the top level in the Netherlands with Vitesse Arnhem but didn’t have too much success in the Dutch second division. The defender missed a handful of games for Sparta Rotterdam through injuries but featured in 13 of their last 15 games.
30. Lewis Baker
Clubs: Leeds United, Reading
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 28
League appearances: 23
Baker, once a young midfielder of promise in the Chelsea academy, looked set for another year of struggle on loan as he failed to impress at Leeds. But, with Reading, the 24-year-old finally found his place, making 19 appearances alongside former Chelsea academy teammate John Swift.
29. Eduardo
Club: Vitesse Arnhem
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 36
League appearances: 27
The oldest loanee on the list, Eduardo’s Chelsea career had looked over before he signed a new deal and was sent off to Vitesse. In 27 Eredivisie appearances last season, the Portuguese goalkeeper kept four clean sheets and conceded 39 goals.
28. Matt Miazga
Clubs: Nantes, Reading
Position: Centre-back
Age: 23
League appearances: 24
Hopes were once high for USA international Miazga but he hardly stood out in France, appearing just eight times for Nantes in Ligue 1. His fortunes slightly improved after joining Reading, where he started all-bar two games for the Championship strugglers before the season’s end.
27. Nathan
Club: Atletico Mineiro
Position: Winger
Age: 23
League appearances: 15
Nathan scored two goals and provided two assists in the Brazilian top-flight last season and made four appearances in the Copa Libertadores in 2019.
26. Kasey Palmer
Clubs: Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City
Position: Attacking midfield
Age: 22
League appearances: 26
Injuries prevented Palmer from becoming a regular at Huddersfield and Derby, while an in-form Bradley Dack kept him out of the Blackburn team. But the 22-year-old found some favour at Bristol City, but missed the last three games of the season.
25. Kenneth Omeruo
Club: CD Leganes
Position: Centre-back
Age: 25
League appearances: 28
Following loan spells in England, the Netherlands and Turkey, Omeruo was sent to Spain for the first time last summer. And the Nigerian helped Leganes steady the ship after a rocky start, featuring in 28 La Liga matches and being included in La Liga ‘Team of the Week’ toward the end of the season.
24. Victorien Angban
Club: Metz
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 22
League appearances: 27
Metz were champions of Ligue 2 last season and Ivorian midfielder Victorien Angban was crucial as part of a three-man midfield. Switching roles between defensive midfield and a more central position, Angban chipped in with one goal and two assists.
23. Michy Batshuayi
Clubs: Valencia, Crystal Palace
Position: Striker
Age: 25
League appearances: 26
Batshuayi had a bad time at Valencia, scoring just one goal in 15 La Liga games but has turned his season around slightly with Crystal Palace. The Belgian bettered his La Liga tally with five goals in 11 Premier League matches for Roy Hodgson’s men, including a brace in the final game of the season against Bournemouth.
22. Victor Moses
Club: Fenerbache
Position: Winger
Age: 28
League appearances: 14
After being told he had no role at Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea, Moses did well at the start of his 18-month loan deal at Fenerbache. The Nigerian, back playing in his wing position, scored four times in 14 games, helping the side slowly move up the table.
21. Jacob Maddox
Club: Cheltenham Town
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 20
League appearances: 38
Youth player Maddox made the first loan move of his career to League Two side Cheltenham, where he became a regular in various positions across the midfield, scoring one and providing two assists in 38 appearances.
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20. Kenedy
Club: Newcastle United
Position: Winger
Age: 23
League appearances: 25
After scoring twice in 13 games on loan at Newcastle last season, Kenedy returned to the northeast over the summer. However, after an impressive run of starts, the Brazilian became somewhat of a fringe player.
19. Todd Kane
Club: Hull City
Position: Right-back
Age: 25
League appearances: 39
Following an impressive loan spell at Oxford United in League One last season, Kane made the step up to the Championship. There, he featured 39 times for Hull, the eighth loan club of his career.
18. Nathan Baxter
Club: Yeovil Town
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 20
League appearances: 34
Baxter got off to an impressive start in League Two, keeping seven clean sheets in his first 16 matches. But things changed since then, with the 20-year-old losing his place after not keeping a clean sheet since February.
17. Tomas Kalas
Club: Bristol City
Position: Centre-back
Age: 25
League appearances: 38
Kalas had looked to push for a permanent move away from Chelsea in the summer but nothing materialised and the Czech defender ended up on loan at Bristol City. The 25-year-old played 38 games for the Robins in the Championship, helping his side almost keep their playoff dreams alive. Kalas has permanently joined Bristol City on a four-year deal after nearly a decade at Stamford Bridge.
16. Michael Hector
Club: Sheffield Wednesday
Position: Centre-back
Age: 26
League appearances: 37
Michael Hector has never played for Chelsea in a competitive fixture, but he was a regular starter at the back for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship last season.
15. Jay Dasilva
Club: Bristol City
Position: Left-back
Age: 21
League appearances: 28
Dasilva had a strange season with Bristol City, enjoying long spells in the team before being left out in bursts. But his performances have been good enough to see him sign permanently for the Robins, following in team-mates Tomas Kalas’ footsteps.
14. Bradley Collins
Club: Burton Albion
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 22
League appearances: 31
After a stuttering start, Collins did well at Burton, keeping 11 clean sheets in 31 League One games. The 22-year-old was also in goal as Burton reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup – though did have to pick the ball out of his net 10 times in two legs against Manchester City.
13. Mario Pasalic
Club: Atalanta
Position: Central midfield
Age: 24
League appearances: 33
Pasalic was decent for Atalanta last season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 38 games across all competitions.
12. Trevoh Chalobah
Club: Ipswich Town
Position: Centre-back
Age: 19
League appearances: 43
A centre-back by nature, Trevoh Chalobah was used in defensive midfield at Ipswich and, despite his potential, was in a tough spell with the recently relegated Tractor Boys. But the Englishman continued to show composure on the ball and promise for the future.
11. Alvaro Morata
Club: Atletico Madrid
Position: Striker
Age: 26
League appearances: 15
Things just weren’t working out for Morata at Chelsea, but the Spaniard appeared to have found some luck back at his boyhood club. Morata scored six goals in 14 La Liga games, which is a far better average than he achieved for the west Londoners last campaign.
10. Ola Aina
Club: Torino
Position: Right-back
Age: 22
League appearances: 30
Once deemed a potential successor at right-back for Chelsea, Ola Aina has sealed a permanent move to Italy following a successful loan spell at Torino. The Nigerian missed just eight league games last season including a three-match suspension.
9. Danilo Pantic
Club: Partizan Belgrade
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 22
League appearances: 32
Pantic proved to be an important player for Partizan since arriving in the summer, scoring six goals and providing three assists in the league and directly contributing to four goals (one goal, three assists) in eight Europa League appearances.
8. Dujon Sterling
Club: Coventry City
Position: Right-back
Age: 19
League appearances: 38
Coventry were pushing for a League One play-off spot last season with Sterling a regular at right-back. He provided five assists in 38 matches, playing over 2,500 minutes of league football.
7. Jake Clarke-Salter
Club: Vitesse Arnhem
Position: Centre-back
Age: 21
League appearances: 29
Another promising youngster at Chelsea being sent out on loan to Vitesse, Jake Clarke-Salter impressed in his spell in the Netherlands and was an integral part of the Arnhem back line. The 21-year-old also captained England U21s at the European Championship this summer, which ended in a disappointing group stage exit. A potential big name for the future.
6. Tiemoue Bakayoko
Club: AC Milan
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 24
League appearances: 31
After a season of struggles with Chelsea, Tiemoue Bakayoko endured a similarly slow spell at AC Milan where he failed to start for the Rossoneri until the end of October. However, his fortunes drastically turned around as the Frenchman became almost indispensable for Milan, leading to talks of a potential permanent move.
5. Mason Mount
Club: Derby County
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 20
League appearances: 35
Mount’s excellent early season form in the Championship earned him an unlikely call-up to the senior England squad. His form dipped slightly thereafter, combined with injury issues, but the teenager has already done enough to prove he could one day play regularly for Chelsea. He scored eight league goals, with five assists as well as scoring a crucial goal away at Leeds in Derby’s run to the play-off final.
4. Kurt Zouma
Club: Everton
Position: Centre-back
Age: 24
League appearances: 32
Zouma put in some superb displays alongside fellow centre-back Michael Keane this season, with the Frenchman becoming a big part of Marco Silva’s plans throughout the campaign. According to reports, Everton are considering a permanent signing.
3. Fikayo Tomori
Club: Derby County
Position: Centre-back
Age: 21
League appearances: 44
One of two Blues youngsters snapped up by Chelsea legend and Derby boss Frank Lampard, Tomori played in 44 of the Rams’ league games last season, putting in some impressive displays. So impressive, that he was named Derby County’s ‘Player of the Season’. He partnered fellow loanee Clarke-Salter in Italy with England U21s. Big potential.
2. Tammy Abraham
Club: Aston Villa
Position: Striker
Age: 21
League appearances: 37
After a pre-season with Chelsea, Tammy Abraham looked like he would be staying with the club as the third striker but would eventually leave for another loan spell back in the Championship with Aston Villa. The young striker did exceptionally well at the Villans, scoring 25 league goals, including smashing four past Nottingham Forest in November. His goal against West Brom helped Villa earn a return to the Premier League via the playoffs.
1. Reece James
Club: Wigan Athletic
Position: Right-back
Age: 19
League appearances: 45
Reece James’ first loan spell away from Chelsea could hardly have gone much better. The teenager was brilliant for Wigan last season at right-back and in midfield. Chelsea fans have been watching James closely and are already calling for him to be first-choice right-back next season.
