Chelsea FC Transfer Rumours: Jeffrey Bruma To Spend 2 Years On Loan At Hamburg

We've been waiting for this loan move for a little while now, but there are still some surprises. Jeffrey Bruma will move to HSV Hamburg this summer on loan, joining Frank Arnesen, Michael Mancienne, Boba Fett Jacopo Sala and Gohkan Tore in the mass exodus from Stamford Bridge to the Bundesliga club. 'A loan isn't a big deal', you might be thinking, and you'd probably be right. Bruma is clearly a long way down the depth chart at centre half, with John Terry, David Luiz, Alex and Branislav Ivanovic clearly ahead of him, and he needs to get some top-level playing time at some point for the sake of his development.

So, a loan deal makes plenty of sense for Bruma and Chelsea. What makes a little less sense for the club is the length of the deal - two years. While I imagine that there's a recall option of some sort, this looks much more likely to turn into a permanent deal than if it had been for a shorter amount of time. This is obviously speculation, but Bruma is only contracted to Chelsea until the end of 2014, and this will keep him at Hamburg until 2013, making the natural time for him to move on be following the conclusion of this loan.

The stability is a good thing for Bruma, of course - he needs to get settled into a new league and he should have plenty of opportunity to show his worth with Hamburg, something he was never going to get with the Blues. it's make or break time for him in terms of having a career at the very top level, and his agent was keen to point out that this is a fantastic opportunity:

It is important Jeffrey gets playing. For him this is a good step. We have chosen stability for Jeffrey. These two years Jeffrey has to play and he can settle in this way.

At Chelsea that will be difficult, but in Hamburg the chance is bigger. However, he will have to prove it by himself. For him it is a good step. Hamburg is and remains a top team, with a fantastic stadium and a giant fanbase.

-Wessel Weezenburg, Jeffrey Bruma's agent. Source: Mail.

While it's tempting to get upset at yet another Arnesen special, let's bear in mind that a) it's still a loan deal and b) Bruma isn't actually very good yet. Yes, he's a nice little centre back prospect, but if Hamburg are going to be the ones guiding him through the development he needs to get to the point he can play in the Premier League, then I'm happy to take the risk that he does in fact stay in Germany. Ultimately, losing him in two years wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

It's also important to note that Chelsea are now down to four 'real' centre backs again, the same number as they went into the 2010/11 season with. Granted, with David Luiz's addition the quality is far higher, but there's a very real risk of depth problems should he or Ivanovic go down long-term, especially with John Terry's continued ability to stay healthy in some doubt. Bruma's absence may open up a door or two for the reservists should that happen.

I'd expect this to be confirmed by the club very soon.