Chelsea youth standout set for permanent move to Spain, according to reports

Reports are starting to pop up in Spain that Chelsea academy product Gael Kakuta has found a new home, and will be joining Rayo Vallecano in short order. Spanish radio producer Issac Fouto Tweeted as much on Monday:

Rayo y Chelsea ultiman a esta hora los detalles de la cesión del delantero francés Gael Kakuta a Vallecas. Podría ser oficial mañana

— Isaac Fouto (@isaacfouto) July 28, 2014

There have been links between Rayo and Chelsea about a deal involving Kakuta for a good portion of the summer, and the link is entirely sensible. Rayo are a mid-table Spanish team without any real money to spend, so taking a flier on a youngster that was viewed as one of the better prospects in world football just several seasons ago seems like a safe gamble. Odds are there isn't any sort of significant fee involved here, as Kakuta has done nothing to warrant that sort of return for the club of late. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the Blues had built some sort of add-ons into the deal.

Kakuta should serve as a great reminder to everyone here about the difference in quality between the U18 and U21 level and first team football. While Kakuta dominated his peers at an early age, as the speed of the game increases, technical gifts alone just aren't enough to bring success. Hopefully his reading of the game and defensive work improve in La Liga, and the Frenchman goes on to have a successful career after Chelsea.