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Chelsea are witnessing the dawn of a new era under club legend Frank Lampard. It is expected that Lampard will assess every player closely this preseason. Many forgotten players have featured this preseason and many younger players have also made appearances. This shows that Chelsea has adopted a new approach with the appointment of Frank Lampard.
The new approach is also an indirect result of the transfer ban. Since they cannot buy any players, it seems logical that their loan army and academy is finally being implemented into the first team set up.
For years, there have been complaints about the lack of chances at Stamford Bridge for their youth products. Not many youth players have been able to make it to the first-team squad. The loanees have not gotten a fair amount of chances either.
Things, however, look to be changing as Lampard is giving a lot of attention to all the players at his disposal and is evaluating everything before finalizing his squad. The transfer ban is another huge factor that is probably pushing Lampard into trusting these young players.
As Chelsea’s final squad starts to take shape, we take a look at 4 players Chelsea should look to keep or loan this season.
1. Keep - Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma’s impact at Everton last season cannot be summed up in a few words. He was an absolute rock at the heart of their defence, tackling, clearing and heading his way through all perils in his way. Everton’s defence last season received an instant boost whenever Zouma was leading their backline.
Now, Zouma was rated highly at Stamford Bridge in 2014 when he was a very young player. At that time, his promotion to the first team was relatively early. Injuries followed and Zouma just couldn’t make it back into the team.
However, after last season, he is touted to become an integral part of the Chelsea squad. The Blues’ defence last season often lacked concentration and seemed to fade away for phases. What Zouma’s inclusion will do is bring a sense of awareness and stabilize the often turbulent Chelsea backline.
His game has a sense of maturity to it. It is often seen that Zouma takes responsibility in pressure situations and more often than not come out on the winning side. Zouma’s heading is also fantastic which only adds to his game.
Chelsea should look to keep Zouma at Stamford Bridge and allow him to express himself freely in the Chelsea backline.
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2. Keep – Tiemoue Bakayoko
Tiemoue Bakayoko always seems to divide opinions. While there is a section of the Chelsea fanbase that believes that Bakayoko has returned a more improved player from Italy, the majority of the fans still believe that Bakayoko should be shipped off to any club proposing a decent offer.
Bakayoko’s game has improved due to his loan spell at AC Milan. His passing is looking sharper and his confidence on the ball has increased. Throughout the past season, Bakayoko showed his capability to adapt to new surroundings. After struggling for the first few months, his influence started growing.
Now, despite so many positives, Bakayoko doesn't really look the ideal fit at Chelsea. His game still looks a little edgy and he doesn't really look comfortable with moving the ball around quickly. Bakayoko's style is probably not in sync with Chelsea. What is important, though, is that Chelsea do keep him.
Considering the transfer ban, Chelsea cannot go into the market to buy players. They have to build their squad using players that they already have. If Lampard can help Bakayoko find a solution that suits his style, then Chelsea will definitely get a player that could wreak havoc in the Premier League.
At this point of time, Bakayoko is coming off a great loan season and circumstances at Chelsea point towards his stay. What he needs to do is find ways of adapting his style of play to that of the Premier League and start influencing results for Chelsea.
3. Loan: Connor Callagher
Connor Callagher is an established name in the youth setup of England. He won the Young Player of the Season award at Chelsea last season. His appearances, although limited, have shown promise during this preseason. His footballing mentality has been on display at Chelsea for several years as he has breezed through the U-18s, U-21s and he finally seems ready to step up to the next level.
While some would debate that Callagher deserves to play for the first team at Stamford Bridge this season, that might not be as ideal. At such a crucial juncture of his career, it is important for Callagher to play for a competitive team week in week out. What this will do is give him some experience as well as allow him to play a crucial role for any team that he goes to on a temporary basis.
At the moment, Chelsea is stacked with midfielders for specific positions. Even if Callagher does stay at Stamford Bridge this season, his minutes will be limited and he will probably feature only in the Cup games. A perfect example of this is Ethan Amapadu. Last season, Chelsea decided against sending Ampadu on loan. This led to a horrendous season for him as he ended up playing more for his National Team, Wales, than for Chelsea.
Callagher is at an age where one wrong decision could derail his career. Going out on loan to a decent Premier League team such as Bournemouth or Wolves will probably be the best option for him as this would allow him to acclimatize to the Premier League conditions. For now, Callagher must prove himself elsewhere.
4. Loan: Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori has improved leaps and bounds ever since he joined Derby County on loan last season. He was an absolute rock at the heart of Derby's defence. He looked like a leader and was often seen taking responsibility for the backline.
Tomori as a defender has all the right qualities. Being a good header of the ball, Tomori handles set pieces in a great manner. Since Lampard played a quick pressing style last season, Tomori looks very comfortable on the ball and can bring the ball out from the back.
While some would argue that Tomori deserves his first-team opportunity, it seems that a loan move to a Premier League club is ideal. At the moment, the Chelsea squad is loaded with a plethora of centrebacks. Moreover, most of the center-backs at Chelsea are experienced professionals. Even if Tomori stays at Chelsea, he would be on the bench more often than not.
Since his past season was on loan at a Championship club, spending a season at a Premier League side would enhance his development even further and make him ready to play for Chelsea.
