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It's probably good news. It's certainly expected news. Charly Musonda had long outgrown the level of competition afforded by the various youth competitions available to Chelsea U18-U21s. It was time to test the waters with the big boys. Probably overdue, in fact.
Confirmed: Real Betis will sign Charly Musonda Jr (19) on loan for 18 months without an optional purchase clause. #CFC (@svenclaes)
— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) January 28, 2016
Real Betis are without a win since early December — that's 11 matches in all competitions — and will hopefully be willing to experiment and give time to the 19-year-old. The length of the loan, a season and a half, should allow for a bit of team building and a willingness to use the kid. We seem to get better results with long-term loans (see: Courtois, Christensen), though the sample is quite limited. The absence of a buy-option is even better, for ideally, Musonda eventually becomes a Chelsea standout rather than just another name to remember on trivia night at some point in the future.
While we wait for official confirmation, let's remind ourselves of some of his highlights from recent seasons.