Following the closing of the summer transfer window in 2016, Chelsea had a club record of 38 players out on loan, but does their loan system actually pave a path to the first team?
Or are Chelsea simply allowing their loaned players to drive up their transfer value in order to make a nice profit after a few successful loan spells?
Here is a look at 6 players who Chelsea sent on loan that will be playing in the Premier League next season.
Thibaut Courtois
The most successful player to come back from loan in recent seasons is Thibaut Courtois. The Belgium Goalkeeper signed for Chelsea in 2011 from Genk for a fee of €9 million, Courtois then spent the next three seasons on loan at La Liga side Atletico Madrid.
By the time Courtois returned to Chelsea he had 111 appearances under his belt for one of the strongest sides in Spain as well as having won a La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Europa League title with Atletico.
Courtois has since established himself as Chelsea’s first choice GK and has gone on to win two Premier League titles with the London side, in 2014-2015 & 2016-17.
Victor Moses
Moses was signed by Chelsea in the final week of the 2012 summer transfer window from Wigan Athletic.
Following a mixed first season for Chelsea, Moses was then loaned out for three straight seasons to Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham. None of these loan spells could be deemed a success with Moses failing to make over 22 appearances per season and scoring just the five goals in his time away from Stamford Bridge.
The Nigeria international’s Chelsea career took an unexpected turn following the appointment of Antonio Conte as Chelsea manager at the start of the 2016/17 season. The Italian was impressed with Moses in pre-season and trusted him to be his starting right-wing-back for Chelsea’s Premier League winning 2016/17 season.
Nathan Ake
Nathan Ake joined Chelsea in 2011 and had his first loan spell in 2015 at Reading; the loan was only for a month and Ake made a total of 5 appearances for the Royals.
Ake then had back to back loans with Premier League sides Watford and Bournemouth; at Vicarage Road Ake made 24 appearances scoring 1 goal.
However, the following season at Bournemouth was the defender’s best by far; Ake made 10 appearances scoring 3 goals for the Cherries. The Dutchman made such an impact that he was recalled by Chelsea in January 2017 for the remainder of the season.
In June 2017 Bournemouth paid a club record fee of £20 million to sign Ake permanently from Chelsea.
Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Genk for £7 million on deadline day of the 2012 winter transfer window but was loaned back to Genk for the remainder of the season.
In the summer transfer window of 2012, De Bruyne joined Bundesliga side Werder Bremen on a season long loan. The Belgian would return to Chelsea following an impressive spell in Germany but only make 3 appearances for the club before being sold to Bundesliga Side Wolfsburg for £18 million.
Having made an £11 million profit on a player who had played 3 games for the club, Chelsea may have thought this was good business, however, in less than 2 years De Bruyne would be sold to Man City for a club record £54 million, where he has become an integral part of City’s team.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku was signed by Chelsea from Anderlecht for £17 million in August 2011 but only made his first start for Chelsea in May 2012.
Two loan spells to Premier League sides followed for Lukaku with West Brom and then Everton. The Belgian striker impressed at both clubs, scoring 17 goals for the Baggies in 35 games before scoring 15 goals in 31 appearances for the Toffees the following season.
Subsequently Everton signed Lukaku for £28 million from Chelsea on a five-year contract. Lukaku has since gone on to score a further 53 goals in 110 appearances for Everton in the three seasons following his permanent move to Goodison Park.
On the 10th of June 2017 Lukaku signed for Manchester United for an initial £75 million, with the Red Devils potentially paying an extra £15 million in add-ons.
Mohamed Salah
Salah was signed by Chelsea from Swiss side Basel in January 2014 for £11 million, Salah went on to make 13 appearances for Chelsea, scoring two goals before being loaned out to Serie A side Fiorentina, where the Egyptian would score 6 goals in 16 games.
Having impressed in Italy, Roma signed Salah on loan for the 2015/16 season and then signed the winger permanently for €15 million in the summer of 2016 after Chelsea deemed Salah surplus to requirements.
In his two seasons at Roma, Salah scored 29 goals in 65 appearances and was regarded as one of the best players in Italy’s top flight.
Premier League side Liverpool were certainly impressed with the former Basel man and in June 2017 paid Roma a club record fee in order to bring the Egyptian international to Anfield for the forth coming Premier League season.
Chelsea will be looking to retain their Premier League title but will their short term financial gains inadvertently hinder their long term dominance?
Written by Svar Nanan-Sen
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