According to a relatively surprising announcement today, Kaby Djalo has left Chelsea FC to join Cypriot League side AEL Limassol. Kaby was not one of the elite prospects in our system by any means, but he was certainly a talented youngster who was performing fairly admirably for the reserve team. Some of you might remember that we took a quick look at Kaby this fall.
I'm not sure quite what to make of the wording in the announcement. Just looking at the way it was written would lead me to believe that Kaby was feeling that he'd have a better opportunity abroad and that his chances of breaking into our first team were slim*. Chelsea weren't likely to get much of anything for a kid who had never made a first team appearance, so it does sound like they let him go for free. Then again, Chelsea have been notoriously quiet about any fees they recieve in player sales. The Tore and Rajkovic deals have both shown that they are definitely looking to give themselves some leverage should the player develop into something special.
*FWIW, The article also states that Rhys Taylor has yet to make a first team appearance even though he's now made two
Kaby's new club currently sits atop the Cypriot League where they will attempt to take a Champions League place from the surprising APOEL. Where Kaby fits into the club's plans is unclear, but it's safe to assume he'll have a far better chance of breaking through to the first team there than he did here. Hopefully he'll go on to have some success there as it's always nice to see Chelsea academy products go on to lead productive careers. Best of luck Kaby...