A slight quirk of fate in this week’s Loan Report saw two Chelsea youngsters appear in a league match for the first time in their native countries. Patrick van Aanholt’s maiden Eredivisie experience was all the sweeter as it came away to PSV Eindhoven, the club at which he spent his formative years before moving to England. Gael Kakuta, meanwhile, made his Ligue Une bow away to Lyon as a…
Chelsea’s teenage Austrian striker is set to join Italian giants AC Milan on a free transfer in the summer, according to multiple reports today. Prosenik, the son of former international Christian, has been with the Blues since 2009 but has managed just 25 total appearances for the youth and reserves teams (and just five goals) in a career heavily upset by injuries. After suffering a concussion and memory loss in…
Chelsea’s Portuguese Under-20 international midfielder Kaby will today end his career with the Blues and join Cypriot team AEL Limassol. The Guinea-Bissau born teenager, who will turn 20 next month, is out of contract at the end of the season and is therefore eligible to agree a Bosman free transfer move to any club outside of the UK. It remains to be 100% confirmed whether the move to Cyprus is…
The subject of B team football within the English football league structure is a complex one with no lack of sensitive issues. Andre Villas-Boas has twice this season added his name to a series of high-profile names who have called for a restructuring of the way young talent is developed in this country. Naturally, the issue causes some consternation, and perhaps quite rightly. There are many valid points to be…
This week’s Loan Report features a clutch of players who were involved for the first time with their new clubs this weekend, headlined by Dijon’s Gael Kakuta. The French Under-21 international swapped the Reebok Stadium in Bolton for Stade Gaston Gérard and wasted little time in making an impression for his new club, grabbing a debut goal en route to beating Istres 2-1 in the French Cup. Kakuta grabbed a…
After going seven league matches unbeaten before the winter academy break, Chelsea have now lost consecutive London derbies in 2012 after a narrow 2-1 defeat away to Fulham on Tuesday afternoon. It was an all-Swedish affair in front of goal as a Muamer Tankovic brace led the whites to victory, and despite a late effort from Anjur Osmanovic, Chelsea were unable to take what would have been a deserved share…
The first full Loan Report of 2012 is somewhat abridged, but a host of new faces have embarked upon spells away from Chelsea since the Christmas break, and are likely to be followed by more as the month of January wears on. Gael Kakuta and Josh McEachran lead the way in high-profile moves, with Kakuta swapping Bolton for Dijon in France and McEachran heading away from Stamford Bridge for the…
Chelsea advanced into the Fifth Round of the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night after a hard-fought win away to Norwich City, prevailing on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. Four successful spot kicks saw Adrian Viveash’s troops home as Jamal Blackman saved one and watched another hit his crossbar in the dreaded shootout. Viveash was able to welcome back Daniel Pappoe from injury and included the second-year in the…
Reserve team players Gael Kakuta and Ben Gordon have this afternoon finalised loan deals for the second half of the 2011-12 season. Kakuta’s protracted move to French top division outfit Dijon FCO has finally gone through, whilst Gordon will make a return to Kilmarnock, where he spent the first half of the 10-11 campaign. News of Kakuta’s proposed move was around as early as a few days before Christmas but…
Chelsea’s first under-18 match of 2012 ended in stoppage time heartbreak as they went down 3-2 to West Ham United. Twice the Blues had gone behind in the first half but goals from Amin Affane and Nathan Ake restored parity. Unfortunately, a stoppage time indirect free-kick from Jack Powell saw all three points go back to East London. With Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup tie away to Norwich very much in…