Graham Potter faces a long list of problems at Chelsea, although his main focus will be trying to overcome a huge deficit to make the last push for the Champions League. Optimistic blues fans could with bet365 back their team to finish in the top four, although the top six might be a more realistic target.
Even finishing in the Europa League places will be a challenge for a club going through a rebuilding process. Potter will look at his squad list and look for returning players in the summer, desperately trying to set a path forward for the Blues. One of the key problems Chelsea have grappled with over the last decade is the surplus of players at Cobham.
The list of Chelsea stars who have been loaned to clubs across Europe and the youth ranks of English football is endless. However, only a few notable players have managed to return to Stamford Bridge to secure a starting place in Chelsea’s starting XI. Mason Mount and Reece James are the two success stories, while the jury is still out on whether Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher will measure up with the Blues.
waste of talent?
It’s one of the key decisions Potter will face over the summer along with the ownership group. One of the lasting legacies of the Roman Abramovich era at the club is the bloated squad Chelsea amassed over 20 years, but especially the last 10 years of his reign. The constant change of managers resulted in numerous players being signed and they later remained on the books without a role in the team.
Chelsea’s policy of signing forward-thinking young players has been remarkable, but the road to the first team has been a problem. Not even the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi have been able to secure a first-team place and it seems certain that she will move elsewhere in the summer. He is just the tip of the iceberg.
At least Hudson-Odoi managed playing time before going on loan. Matej Delac and Mario Pasalic were under contract for eight and six years respectively at Stamford Bridge before leaving the club after failing to record a first-team appearance. Baba Rahman remains in the books after last playing for the Blues in 2015.
Tiemoue Bakayoko has not appeared in a Chelsea shirt since 2018, having spent the last five years on loan. His future should be resolved in the summer. The player backlog is incredible and that’s without the spending spree the club went on last summer and January, spending over £600m to sign new talent.
Growing trend
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Xavier Simons has already made his permanent loan to Hull City, and the Blues have lost promising striker Jude Soonsup-Bell to Tottenham on a free transfer. There is no guarantee that these players will succeed, but Chelsea have missed the train of promising players before, allowing Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah to pass without giving them a chance to shine at Stamford Bridge.
The list could go on beyond Simons and Soonsup-Bell. Ethan Ampadu was supposed to be one of the next great defensive midfielders and he has performed well enough for Wales when given the chance on the big stage. However, he has gone through several loan moves at Serie and Sheffield United three years ago.
Levi Colwill is another concern as he continues to improve his reputation on loan at Brighton. Ian Maatsen could be a target for Burnley if they want to make his move permanent on their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
Potter has shown a willingness to bleed young talent and this is where his skill will come to the fore. Lewis Hall has shown glimpses of his pedigree at the highest level after being placed directly in the firing line. Chelsea may need to adapt her approach in future to change the culture at Stamford Bridge.
