The loan army may come in handy over the next 12 months
Chelsea are in the midst of a transfer ban that is stretching over two windows after they were found to have breached Fifa rules in relation to signing players below the age of 18.
This means that new manager Frank Lampard won’t be able to register any new players for 18 months. Luckily for him, Chelsea had 41 (forty-one) players out on loan last season to recall should they feel obliged to.
Chelsea have never been a team that lives by the ethos ‘the children are our future’, so it would be a shock to see them follow this advice. Nevertheless, here’s a list of five players who could make an impact if required at Stamford Bridge.
1. Tammy Abraham
Abraham first made a name for himself during a loan spell at Bristol City in 2016/17, where he scored 26 goals in 48 appearances. Of course, that wasn’t enough to earn him the opportunity to prove his worth in the first team under then manager Antonio Conte, but his prolific form at Aston Villa last season is surely enough to force Frank Lampard or whoever takes the job into giving him a chance. With ample pace and a poacher’s instinct, he has the tools to get to grips with the pace of Premier League football.
2.Reece James
Chelsea’s full-backs created a lopsidedness to their team last season. Cesar Azpilicueta is better suited to playing as one of three centre-backs, as shown by his evolution under Conte, while Marcos Alonso is much more comfortable in a wing-back role that provides him with more defensive cover as he marauds up the flank. In that sense, James could provide a solution to this problem, having impressed on loan at Wigan.
3. Kurt Zouma
Less of a hidden gem, but Zouma could come in very handy now that Gary Cahill has left the building. Comfortable playing on either side of a defensive duo, with excellent recovery pace and a good reading of the game, Zouma could very quickly become a useful asset to Chelsea, where he impressed in 2015/16 before suffering a horrible knee injury.
4. Mason Mount
Under the management of Lampard, Mount gained a reputation as one of England’s hottest prospects at Derby County. The 20-year-old’s form in the Championship earned him a call-up to England’s senior squad, although Gareth Southgate is yet to give him any minutes. Even after the addition of Mateo Kovacic, Mount could take his place in the senior squad as an excellent 67th minute substitute for Ross Barkley.
