Lucas Piazon has just joined a host of our youngsters on loan duty, as he completed a move to Malaga on loan until the end of the season. There are rumours circulating that we may have tied up a first-option on Isco as part of this deal, but im dismissing this as just paper talk, them putting two and two together, and coming up with seven.
The Belgian trio of Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Kevin De Bruyne are the most notable players currently in the middle of loan deals around Europe, and there is a worrying trend between the three, they have all announced they are happy where they are, and are extremely keen to stay for longer than their loan spells.
A total of £33m has been forked out on the trio, and we must not risk upsetting them and wanting them to force a move, as we certainly wouldn’t get a great portion of that back for them right now. The transfer fees were definitely based on potential, rather than current worth.
There is of course a worry that Piazon makes it a quartet of players that are not entirely keen on coming back to the Bridge, and with the likes of Feruz, Ba, and Lukaku ahead or around him in the striker ranks, you are hard pushed to say when he would be first-choice for the Blues.
Courtois is similar as well, currently enjoying his first-team role at Athletico Madrid, it is clear he is not looking at Chelsea in the immediate future, telling talkSPORT “I’ll have to see what is best for them but I would be happy if I stayed here for another year” and with Petr Cech only 30 years of age, relatively young for a goalkeeper, it may well be four or five years before Roman Abramovich wants Courtois back for a starting position, and you can put your bottom dollar on the fact he won’t want to come back until he is guaranteed a starting spot, if at all.
Kevin De Bruyne currently loves life in Germany with Bremen too, stating he may well be looking at a second spell there, and certainly doesn’t seem to want to rush back, especially with the host of names he would have to fight through for a starting spot, just look at Marko Marin as an example of how none of these players want to end up.
These young stars need to be treated with much care, you only have to look at Manchester City’s Michael Johnson for how not to nurture them, and while sending them on loan for a season or two may be the correct move, you have to make sure that you give them enough temptation to come home again.
By Brad Smith
Follow @BrummieBrad