Summer 2019 transfer window: Chelsea Loan Army decimated, but not disbanded

The 2019 summer transfer season is now officially over for practically all of Europe, after the windows “slammed” shut on September 2 — few stragglers aside, most notably Portugal with September 22 — which means that Silly Season takes a well-earned break until January Christmas Halloween next week because Silly Season Never Sleeps™.

For Chelsea, incoming business had been over well before of course, with the Premier League window closing on August 8. But we had some outgoing moves to make still, especially in terms of adding to the Loan Army, which clocks in at under 30 for the first time in recent memory (5-6 years?).

There were big moves elsewhere in Europe in the last few weeks, including Philippe Coutinho joining Bayern Munich on loan from Barcelona, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez joining Antonio Conte at Inter Milan, Chelsea-killer Chicharito leaving the Premier League for Sevilla, and Mauro Icardi and Keylor Navas both ending up at PSG. Meanwhile, down in League One, Bolton Wanderers signed a whopping nine (9!) players on deadline day, including former Chelsea trainee Liam Bridcutt, to try to improve their miserable state. And that’s just the tip of the usual massive transfer-berg. (Not to mention the big deals earlier in the summer, like Eden Hazard or Antoine Griezmann or Nicolas Pépé or Tanguy Ndombele.)

Here’s an updated look at Chelsea’s summer.

INCOMING / NEW PLAYERS

Mateo Kovačić (from Real Madrid) — £40m
Christian Pulisic (from BVB) — £60m (loan returnee, technically)

INCOMING / NEW COACHES

Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, Chris Jones, Joe Edwards (internal promotion), Eddie Newton (internal promotion), Hilário (internal promotion), Petr Čech (technical advisor), Claude Makélélé (technical mentor). These aren’t, strictly speaking, actual transfers, but they feel just as significant.

The youth coaching setup was shuffled around as well, with Andy Myers taking over at the U23 level, assisted by Jon Harley (internal promotion) and Eric Ramsay (new signing), and Ed Brand taking over at the U18 level, assisted by James Simmonds (internal promotion). Ashley Cole is set to join as a youth coach (U15, or so) at some point as well.

THE YOUTH REVOLUTION

Going hand-in-hand with the new coaching staff are the Chelsea Academy Eight Ten, on whom all just might depend this season: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (new contract!), Callum Hudson-Odoi (still waiting for that signature), Mason Mount (new contract!), Tammy Abraham (new contract?), Reece James (new contract?), Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori (new contract?), and even Billy Gilmour and Marc Guehi (new contract!), and third goalkeeper Jamie Cumming (new contract!).

OUTGOING / FIRST-TEAM

Eden Hazard (to Real Madrid) — £90m
David Luiz (to Arsenal) — £8m
Gary Cahill (to Crystal Palace) — free
Rob Green (retired)
Álvaro Morata (to Atlético Madrid) — £50m

(Morata is technically just on loan at Atlético this season, but his transfer for next summer is already agreed and signed.)

OUTGOING / YOUTH & LOANEES

Chelsea collected transfer fees totaling about £35m for Ola Aina, Jay Dasilva, Victorien Angban, Tomáš Kalas, Daishawn Redan, Kenneth Omeruo, and Kasey Palmer.

The club also released or let go for free 12 players: Kylian Hazard, Fankaty Dabo, Brad Collins, Eduardo, Joseph Colley, Renedi Masampu, Jared Thompson, Ruben Sammut, Marcin Bułka, Martell Taylor-Crossdale, Josimar Quintero, Kyle Scott

LOAN ARMY 2019

We had been expecting a smaller than recently normal number of loanees thanks to the incoming new FIFA regulations, but we still reached almost 30. That’s still less than the usual high-30s or even 40+ amount, and is a step in the likely necessary direction. Many of this season’s loanees are also on the older side and their current moves are likely to be precursors to more permanent solutions soon. Michael Hector meanwhile is expected to head out only in January.

Ethan Ampadu (RB Leipzig)
Baba Rahman (Mallorca)
Tiémoué Bakayoko (AS Monaco)
Lewis Baker (Fortuna Düsseldorf)
Nathan Baxter (Ross County)
Jamal Blackman (Vitesse Arnhem)
Izzy Brown (Luton Town)
Juan Castillo (Ajax Amsterdam)
Trevoh Chalobah (Huddersfield Town)
Jake Clarke-Salter (Birmingham City)
Danny Drinkwater (Burnley)
Conor Gallagher (Charlton Athletic)
Josh Grant (Plymouth Argyle)
Kenedy (Getafe)
Jacob Maddox (Tranmere Rovers);
Luke McCormick (Shrewsbury Town)
Matt Miazga (Reading)
Victor Moses (Fenerbahce)
Charly Musonda Jr (Vitesse)
Richard Nartey (Burton Albion)
Nathan (Atlético-MG)
Danilo Pantić (MOL Fehérvár)
Mario Pašalić (Atalanta)
Lucas Piazon (Rio Ave)
Dujon Sterling (Wigan Athletic)
Ike Ugbo (Roda JC)
Davide Zappacosta (AS Roma)

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re currently on break, for the season’s first set of internationals, but afterwards, the season truly starts with twice weekly matches in the Premier League, Champions League, and League Cup as well. Chelsea’s start to the season has not been excellent, but the health of the squad is improving and hopefully, so is the football and results on display.