We’re back for another busy season for the Loan Report here at TheChels.net, and with no fewer than sixteen Chelsea players having already departed on temporary moves, there’s plenty to cover already. We were given over 120 goals during 2013-14 and a goalscoring streak that covered every week of the campaign until the very last one came up empty and whilst we’re not going to reach those heights again, it’ll be intriguing nonetheless.
Headliners
Two weeks into the new term and we still haven’t had a goal or a remarkable performance of note, so the headlines instead go to the most recent players to leave Stamford Bridge. Victor Moses joined Stoke City on Saturday morning and Colombian forward Joao Rodriguez not only confirmed his switch to French top flight club Bastia, but he also made his senior debut away to Paris Saint Germain on Saturday as a late and exciting substitute. With Brazilian forward Brandao facing a lengthy suspension for a post-match assault on Thiago Motta, Joao could be in for more action than perhaps was anticipated at this early stage of affairs.
Also making headlines on Sunday morning was Josh McEachran, who appears set to join the well-trodden path to Arnhem by joining Vitesse for the season. The move isn’t yet confirmed but look for it to be announced as soon as Monday morning.
England
Ryan Bertrand added Southampton to his long list of career homes this summer and was impressive on his debut away to Liverpool on Sunday. He’s being counted on to replace Luke Shaw after his sale to Man Utd and on early evidence looks to be capable of doing just fine.
Christian Atsu was an unused substitute for Everton away to Leicester having only spent 48 hours with the team and will doubtless get his fair share of playing time throughout the next ten months.
In The Championship, Kenneth Omeruo made his first league start of the season (after an injury-enforced substitute appearance on the opening day) away to Leeds in front of Sky’s television cameras on Saturday and played well for the most part. Boro succumbed to a late defeat and after the match manager Aitor Karanka noted that Patrick Bamford is close to securing a deal to move to the Riverside Stadium, whilst a third Blues youngster could follow.
John Swift‘s Rotherham United career has gotten off to a decent start too; the young midfielder was given a first start in League Cup action against Fleetwood Town and turned in a lively 65 minutes before then being afforded his first starting selection in league football as The Millers hosted Wolves on Saturday. He played just the first half and struggled to get into the game playing as an advanced attacking midfielder but the positives thus far outweigh everything else and his stay in Yorkshire should be a beneficial one.
Netherlands
It’s now eleven competitive games since Vitesse Arnhem won a match following a 4-1 opening day reverse away to Ajax and a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Cambuur this weekend. The geel en zwaart conceded a last-minute goal to Bartholomew Ogbeche to drop two points and at this stage they appear worlds away from mounting a title challenge as they did in ’13-14.
Wallace and Bertrand Traore are the sole Chelsea representatives at the club this time around – although McEachran is set to join them – and both played well against Cambuur. Traore’s probing, intelligent attacking play often meshed well with Wallace’s high-intensity, all-action approach down the right and both players went close to scoring with crashing long-range efforts.
Stipe Perica returned to NAC Breda for a second season on Friday but has not yet received his work permit so couldn’t take part in their heavy 6-1 defeat at PSV Eindhoven on Saturday.
Germany
Chelsea did not send a single player on loan to the Bundesliga last season but it returns to the Loan Report in a big way for ’14-15 with four players now plying their trade there. The league kicks off next weekend but competitive action got underway a week early with German Cup action, meaning debuts for Lucas Piazon, Thorgan Hazard and Oriol Romeu.
Piazon started for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 2-0 win at Viktoria Berlin whilst Hazard came off the bench as a late substitute for a Borussia Mönchengladbach side that brushed Homberg aside 3-1. Romeu’s Stuttgart career began with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Bochum but he too started and is set to feature extensively.
Unfortunately, Tomas Kalas did not feature for Köln at FT Brunswick.
Spain
The Spanish season isn’t yet underway but when it does you’ll be able to keep track of Gael Kakuta‘s antics at Rayo Vallecano and Mario Pašalić‘s progress at Elche.
Chile
Chilean Under-20 wing-back Cristian Cuevas has returned to his homeland to play for behemoths Universidad de Chile on loan and he’s featured two or three times already this season, but was not involved on Friday as they drew 2-2 away to Deportes Iquique.