Why Chelsea Are Wrong to Send Lewis Baker out on Loan Again

Lewis Baker has become one of the first Chelsea players to leave the club on loan this summer with his move back to Vitesse Arnhem confirmed last month. Given the Blues’ reliance on the loan system to develop their young players, we can expect many more to join him.

In 2015/16, Chelsea had over 30 players at clubs across the continent. Made up mostly of young, aspiring players, that number also included some senior names including Victor Moses, Marko Marin and Papy Djlibodji.

Baker is 21 now. That youth tag is becoming less relevant; he’s entering the realms of being a senior pro. He’s in a period of his development that is make or break. It’s at his age when club’s tend to make their final decisions on players and whether or not they have a future with them.

For Baker, being sent away so early this summer, the signs aren’t great.

Having him play regularly while on loan with Vitesse does carries wisdom. Baker is at a club he knows after spending a season there and featuring every week is better than him sitting in the stands at Stamford Bridge, training Monday to Friday.

It’s more the timing that shocks. Here is a player who has just helped England win the under-21s Toulon Tournament this summer. He scored four goals for his country to win the Golden Boot award in France.

His stock was on the rise, with Baker showing the sort of role he can play for Chelsea going forward. He’s an exciting attacking midfielder and what do Chelsea need to freshen up their squad right now? Well, an exciting attacking midfielder, among other things.

When Antonio Conte took charge of his first game against Rapid Vienna at the Allianz Stadion on Saturday, the team’s performance wasn’t the important thing. It was the first game of pre-season against a side who will start their own campaign this coming weekend.

Conte had only been in the job since Wednesday; his players back training for less than a week. Losing to Rapid 2-0 was expected, but not important. …

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