One of the oft-repeated allegations Chelsea face from opposition fans (sometimes from their own fans) and media is that they do not have a proper system in place for nurturing young home grown players. It may sound strange keeping in mind the stature of the club but such suggestions cannot be easily thrown into the discard. They have signed lots of top young talents in the past few years but hardly anyone has went on to represent the first team on a regular basis.
The youngsters spent their time on loan elsewhere, mostly in Holland and never get the chance to play for Chelsea again. Thibaut Courtois, an exception though.
We can see a similar sort of situation happening here. Chelsea have been active this summer with flurry of transfer activities going on. While several top players are signed, defensive unit has been shaken following the departures for two senior players. First, David Luiz had been sold to PSG for a record transfer fee while Ashley Cole left the club recently (contract expired) to join Roma. Add to that list, young Tomas Kalas, who played superbly against Liverpool at Anfield last season, has been sent on loan to Germany.
The trend continues, as another young defender now all set to leave the London giants, according to reports from Holland. Patrick van Aanholt, the 23-year-old, who still has a year left on his contract, is seeking for a new employer, after getting frustrated with lack of opportunities at Chelsea.
“I have to play every week. Or I leave the club. Where I’ll play next year? I do not know yet. At least not at Chelsea. I’m done here,” said Van Aanholt, while speaking to VI.
The left-wing-back joined Chelsea from PSV in 2007 and has been playing for Vitesse for the last two and a half years.
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