Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern are braced for celebrations this weekend as they prepare to see the Blues lift the Premier League title and they’ve already started looking ahead to the summer.
Antonio Conte is likely to significantly bolster his ranks during the close season as he looks to defend Chelsea’s league crown next season and push for glory in the Champions League- but our landlord is urging the Blues to stop overlooking their array of youngsters.
Chelsea’s loan policy during recent seasons has been widely criticised and the Blues need to turn things around, otherwise they’ll risk cementing a reputation of being a poor place for young players to develop.
The Blues can still turn things around though and our landlord believes pre-season is the perfect opportunity for talented youngsters to make an impression and the punters have selected two names they’re expecting to excel ahead of next season.
Rubens Loftus-Cheek
Highly-rated midfielder Rubens Loftus-Cheek has been on the fringe of breaking into the first-team on a regular basis for a number of seasons but he’s struggled to add to his 22 Premier League appearances, despite making his debut in 2013.
The 21-year-old is a rare breed of youngster at Stamford Bridge having not been sent on-loan and that could change this summer. At his age though, Loftus-Cheek will be looking towards the future and any chances of him making it at Chelsea hinge on his ability to impress in pre-season.
Tammy Abraham
After netting 23 goals on-loan with Bristol City, Tammy Abraham is reportedly seeking first-team football at Chelsea this summer and his chances of earning that opening all depend on whether he can earn opportunities in pre-season and make an impression.
With Diego Costa rumoured to leave and Michy Batshuayi also seeing his future come under speculation, Abraham has the opportunity to become an option for Antonio Conte next season but the likelihood is the 19-year-old will be sent on another loan, perhaps to a Premier League side.
