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The 29 Chelsea players out on loan this season – and how they’re faring

Chelsea are renowned for loaning out a host of talented players each year – and a small army of youngsters have once again made temporary moves this season.

The Blues are often criticised for their approach, but the likes of Mason Mount are flourishing thanks to the opportunity to play first-team football.

We’ve taken a closer look at every player to depart Stamford Bridge on loan this season.

Charlie Colkett

Colkett spent last season with a mandatory loan spell at Vitesse, playing against the likes of Lazio and Nice in the Europa League.

The midfielder is spending the 2018-19 campaign at Shrewsbury, although he is struggling to break into the League One outfit’s first team.

Lewis Baker

“My conscience tells me that if, for example, Baker, (Izzy) Brown, and (Dominic) Solanke are not national team players in a few years, I should blame myself,” Jose Mourinho said while Chelsea boss in 2014.

The first of three Chelsea players to join Leeds, this is Baker’s sixth loan move away from Stamford Bridge.

While he has impressed for England’s Under-21s, the 23-year-old failed to make much of an impact at Middlesbrough last term and is yet to start in the Championship since moving to West Yorkshire.

Jamal Blackman

Leeds were told Chelsea would not entertain permanent offers for Blackman, who impressed on loan at Sheffield United last season, with the Blues viewing the goalkeeper as a potential first-team player in the future.

Another temporary switch was arranged as a result, with Blackman expected to act as Leeds’ No.1 under Marcelo Bielsa. But he is yet to usurp Bailey Peacock-Farrell, although he has appeared twice in the League Cup.

Izzy Brown

After helping Huddersfield win promotion in 2015-16, Brown was expected to make the step up to the Premier League last season on loan at Brighton.

A torn ACL halted the 21-year-old’s progress, and he has now dropped back down to the Championship with Leeds.

Brown has been signed to provide competition for Samuel Saiz as an attacking midfielder, but the Whites do not have to start footing the bill for the England youth international until he is fully fit and ready to play – expected to be October.

Nathan Baxter

A 19-year-old goalkeeper, Baxter has kept four consecutive clean sheets at Yeovil, who have made a bright start in League Two.

Trevoh Chalobah

The younger brother of Nathaniel, Chalobah was part of the England team that won the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championships and has already been invited to train with Gareth Southgate’s senior squad.

The 19-year-old is now enjoying regular first-team football at Ipswich Town, scoring in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in August.

Reece James

In June, Wigan replaced former Manchester United full-back Reece James by signing 18-year-old full-back Reece James on loan from Chelsea.

Five starts and one substitute appearance represent a promising start to James’ first taste of first-team football.

Dujon Sterling

Like James, Sterling is getting his first experience of regular first-team football after moving to Coventry on loan.

The 18-year-old defender has won a host of honours for club and country at youth level, and Antonio Conte handed the youngster two substitute appearances in the League Cup last term.

Jake Clarke-Salter

Speaking about Clarke-Salter in 2016 after the youngster made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, John Terry said: “Jake has a great attitude. I remember watching him a couple of years ago being in control of the game and a really vocal player. He reminds me a bit of myself.”

Spells at Bristol Rovers and Sunderland have been mixed for the Under-20 World Cup winner, and he is now going through the rite of passage at Vitesse.

Eduardo

It was an interesting summer for veteran goalkeeper Eduardo, who was released by Chelsea at the end of last season.

Come July, he was rejoining the Blues on a one-year deal, only to be immediately loaned out to Vitesse.

Still, the former Portugal international’s departure ensured Chelsea went on to sign Rob Green, so we should all be thankful.

Kenedy

Very popular at St James’ Park after shining over the second half of last season. Less popular at St James’ Park after that display against Cardiff.

Todd Kane

Remarkably, still a Chelsea player. Remarkably, still only 24.

An eighth loan move has taken Kane to Hull, where he has started all six of their Championship matches, scoring in a defeat against former Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

Kane told the Hull Daily Mail: “He just said, ‘What are you doing scoring against my team?’ I said, ‘You taught me.’”

Mason Mount

Mount is one of English football’s most exciting prospects and could hardly be learning under a more suitable role model than Lampard at Derby.

If only someone had written at length about that…

READ: Mason Mount: Chelsea’s greatest hope in the best possible place

Fikayo Tomori

Part of England’s Under-20 World Cup winning side, Tomori is now onto his third consecutive loan move to the Championship after spells with Brighton and Hull.

The 20-year-old defender has joined Mount and Lampard at Derby, establishing himself in their side with six appearances and one goal to his name.

Kurt Zouma

It seems a long time since Zouma looked such a promising prospect before suffering a serious knee injury.

Now 23, an unhappy loan spell at Stoke last season ended in relegation, and the centre-back is hoping to rebuild his reputation at Everton.

Tomas Kalas

Just f*cking sell him, lads. Like Kane, Kalas is onto his eight loan spell away from Chelsea and can now be found at Bristol City. *insert Alan Partridge shrug gif here*

Michael Hector

Just f*cking sell him, lads. We still can’t understand why Chelsea bought Hector in the first place.

Joining Sheffield Wednesday is his fourth loan move in three years at Stamford Bridge and the fifteenth of his career overall.

Matt Miazga

Just f*c….

You get where we’re going with this. A year at Nantes sounds nice, though.

Kenneth Omeruo

Since joining Chelsea, Omeruo has won 40 international caps for Nigeria, won the African Cup of Nations and played in two World Cups.

He is yet to appear for the Blues but has turned out for ADO Den Haag, Middlesbrough, Kasimpasa and Alanyaspor, with his latest move taking him to Leganes.

Baba Rahman

It’s easy to forget – Chelsea fans might want to – but Rahman actually played over 20 times for the Blues in 2015-16.

However, the Ghana international has been on loan at Schalke since 2016, with his latest move an 18-month deal agreed in January.

Ola Aina

Derby and West Brom were both interested in signing Aina in the summer, but the full-back instead decided to test himself in Serie A by joining Torino.

Manager Walter Mazarri is clearly impressed by the 21-year-old, saying: “He is like a sponge, he absorbs everything and is so intelligent. If he improves physically, he can become a truly important player.”

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Among a host of central midfielders at Chelsea’s disposal, the arrival of Maurizio Sarri as manager, plus the signings of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, spelled the end for Bakayoko, who struggled to adapt to English football in his debut campaign for the Blues.

The midfielder, who shone at Monaco, has joined AC Milan, with an option for the deal to be made permanent for a €35million fee in the summer.

Mario Pasalic

Now 23, Pasalic’s CV boasts the likes of Chelsea, Milan, Monaco, Spartak Moscow and now Atalanta.

Despite being a full Croatia international, the midfielder has never actually appeared for Chelsea, although we quite fancy spending a year living in each of those cities.

Charly Musonda

January 2017: Musonda returns to Chelsea after a promising spell at Real Betis and is tipped for a bright future.

May 2018: Musonda returns to Chelsea after an 18-month loan deal at Celtic is cut short having made only eight appearances.

August 2018: Musonda joins Vitesse on a season-long loan.

Danilo Pantic

Chelsea signed an 18-year-old Pantic in a £1.25million deal from Partizan Belgrade in 2015, but the midfielder failed to impress in loan spells at Vitesse and Excelsior.

The Serbia youth international is now back at Partizan for a second consecutive season. It might have been easier if he had just remained there in the first place.

Nathan

Yet to play for Chelsea, three years after leaving Atletico Paranaense to move to London, Nathan has returned to his native Brazil with Atletico Mineiro.

He’s never going to play for Chelsea, is he?

Michy Batshuayi

We have a soft spot for strikers who contribute little else apart from putting the ball in the back of the net, which means we have a big soft spot for Batshuayi.

A loan move to Borussia Dortmund in the second half of 2017-18 proved productive, and the 24-year-old has now moved to Valencia.

However, despite the Spanish outfit opting for a 4-4-2 formation, Batshuayi is yet to start amid competition from Rodrigo, Santiago Mina and Kevin Gameiro.

Tammy Abraham

Twice capped by England, much was expected of Abraham after he bagged 26 goals in all competitions on loan at Bristol City in 2016-17.

The 20-year-old has returned to the Championship with Aston Villa after a difficult season at Swansea in which he scored five times as the Welsh outfit suffered relegation – and some encouragement from Jack Grealish and John Terry.

“I’ve had players like Jack Grealish messaging me every day,” he said. “It’s nice to have a person that you know from before telling you to come to a club.

“John Terry was one of the first people to call me. He said it’s a great club, he’s enjoyed every minute here. He told me I would like it, like the manager, like the players. I believed him.”

Kasey Palmer

Chelsea signed Palmer as a 16-year-old from Charlton in 2013, but the closest he has come to the Blues’ first team so far was when he was an unused substitute against Swansea in 2016.

The England Under-21 midfielder spent 2016-17 on loan at Huddersfield, helping them win promotion to the Premier League, and he returned to Yorkshire the following season, making four appearances in the top flight.

However, his loan was terminated in January, allowing him to drop back into the Championship with Derby, and he is back in the second tier for this season with Blackburn.


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