Chelsea youngster Nathaniel Chalobah impressed out on loan last season at Watford and looks set for another spell away from Stamford Bridge with Leeds United likely to be his next destination.
The 18-year-old has been out at Nottingham Forest, where he has made a total of five appearances but has lost his place to Sunderland’s David Vaughan and will return to Chelsea next month when his short-term deal expires.
Chalobah’s time at the City Ground has not gone as well as he hoped – especially after he was instrumental in helping Watford to reach the Championship final play-off last season over his 42 appearances last season – so he would hope to recreate that sort of impact should he move to Elland Road for the second half of the current campaign.
The midfielder is highly thought of at Stamford Bridge and considered a valued long-term prospect after recently signing a new five-year deal with the Blues and they will hope he is playing more frequently once he has made his next move. He’s been capped by England at Under-21 level and has been noted for his versatility, both in an attacking and defensive sense.
There is an ongoing debate over the current loan system in football and whilst it has many benefits you are still trusting your player in the hands of someone else, so a lot of time and care has to go into help choose their next club. In an ideal world Chelsea would be blooding their own youngsters in at Stamford Bridge by giving them opportunities with the first team but the importance of regular football for young players is stressed so much more in the modern era than it has in the past.
Would Leeds United be the right move for Chalobah? Only time will tell but he is a talented player and the likes of Michael Emenalo need to have a real think over his next move.
