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The Roman Abramovich era has been defined by superstar signings and success in the senior team. Behind closed doors, however, significant financial investment has been made to make Chelsea one of the finest football academies in Europe. With seven FA Youth Cups, four UEFA Youth Leagues and two U-18 National Championships victories in the last decade, the young blues have excelled over the years.
Whilst the senior team roster over the last two years boasts stars such as Reece James, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the successful jump from the youth team has looked impossible at times. Several talented youngsters who preceded them have been forced out on loan and left the club without breaking into the first team.
On that note, here are five infamous members of Chelsea's loan army over the years.
#5 Jeffery Bruma
Dutch center-back Bruma had been with Chelsea since the age of 15 and was part of Chelsea's inaugural "golden boy" batch of 2010. Skilled on the ball and blessed with natural physical ability, Bruma looked to be an alternative center-back option to the likes of John Terry and Alex.
In the 2010-11 season, he was loaned out to Leicester City in need of senior-level playing time, a move which saw him never make another appearance for the club again. He has represented the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg, Schalke and Mainz, among others, but has failed to live up to his potential.
Bruma has been capped 25 times by the Netherlands, making him far more successful than most other players on this list. Nevertheless, he remains one who could not live up to his immense potential.
#4 Nathaniel Chalobah
Nathaniel Chalobah was a widely lauded player who spent over 12 years under Chelsea's umbrella. Making 97 appearances for England across different age groups - one of which was for the senior team - Chalobah was, in many ways, a lost talent disheartened by Chelsea's loan system.
The talented holding midfielder made his way up the ranks as a dependable footballer capable of playing in three different positions. As first-team opportunities came few and far, Chalobah grew into senior-level football through a number of loan spells at Watford, Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Burnley, Reading and Napoli.
Seemingly never a part of the first team plan under Antonio Conte, he decided to seek a new permanent home and moved to Watford in a deal worth £5 million. At Watford, he has been a regular in the starting XI over the past three seasons, as the Hornets look to re-establish themselves in the Premier League after securing promotion.
#3 Josh McEachran
Josh McEachran was seen with great excitement as the first real youth prospect of the Abramovich era. With Chelsea focused on buying premium players, the Stamford Bridge faithful were delighted to see Carlo Ancelotti give preference to the homegrown English midfielder. Aged just 17 on his debut, the 2010 FA Youth Cup Winner was touted for huge things and a role as a first-team regular.
The departure of Ancelotti, however, and the revolving door of coaches that followed such as Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez, meant that McEachran was pushed out on loan spells without ever being a part of the first team plan. He only made 11 appearances in Chelsea colors and currently plays for League One side MK Dons.
#2 Lucas Piazon
Brazilian winger Lucas Piazon was seen as a diamond in the rough by many at Chelsea's academy, as they paid an initial £6.5million to Sao Paulo for him despite the then 17-year-old having never made a first-team appearance.
The 2011-12 Chelsea Young Player of the Year made a single Premier League appearance, which was marked by a penalty miss against Aston Villa.
Seven loan spells did little to settle Piazon, who was never really given a chance by management. Playing on loan in Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, he was shockingly Chelsea's longest-serving player at one point before leaving to join Portuguese club Braga in 2021.
#1 Gael Kakuta
Gael Kakuta was seen as such a phenomenal talent that Chelsea nearly risked the wrath of a transfer ban and a hefty fine in 2010 on accusations of tapping him up from Lens.
The French winger was blessed with phenomenal dribbling ability and blistering pace. He was recognized in his first season in the club’s youth system, as he was named Academy Scholar of the Year and Academy Player of the Year. There's a famous tale of Michael Ballack declaring him as a 'star' after playing a reserve game alongside the then 18-year-old.
Entry into the first team was immensely difficult at a time, as the likes of Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou and others were all fighting for starting spots. Nevertheless, in 2010, his gradual involvement in and around the first-team squad earned him a coveted Golden Boy nomination.
A combination of poor form, injuries and management changes meant Kakuta made a mere 12 appearances for Chelsea, going on loan to Fulham, Bolton, Dijon, Vitesse, Lazio and Rayo Vallecano. He finally left Stamford Bridge permanently in 2014 to join Sevilla, after which he found his way back home to Lens in France.
