Chelsea are busy preparing for a crucial new season under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri and, while the Blues eye expensive new additions, a new era of youngsters eagerly await their opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
The west London side have regularly been criticised for their failure to hand regular opportunities to talented young players, which has already seen the Blues lose the services of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek is widely regarded as the next big thing within the Blues’ ranks and faces an uncertain future despite impressing at the World Cup on the back of a successful spell on-loan with Crystal Palace.
Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville is the latest man to stick the boot in on Chelsea’s youth structure, as he said on ITV’s World Cup coverage:
“He needs to play more games. Chelsea mess their young kids around it’s unbelievable, managers come in for 12 months so why are you going to put your faith in young lads?
“They’ve got a great youth system there but then they just throw them out on loan. [Nathaniel] Chalobah has been the same, Izzy Brown, all those lads are massive talents.
“Three or four years ago Jose Mourinho when he was manager said if we don’t get these lads playing for Chelsea then we might as well give in. Well we might as well give in then.”
