Chelsea confirmed yesterday that four players had left the club on loan. This is in keeping with the club’s policy to send out talented youngsters for regular first-team football.
The highest-profile departure, and also the most significant, was that of Marco van Ginkel to Stoke City. The Dutchman joined Chelsea in 2013 from Vitesse, but after a promising start, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which kept him out 7 months. Following his return, he was unable to break into the first team and was loaned out to AC Milan last year.
The prominence of this deal is that it may act as a catalyst for Chelsea to complete the signing of Asmir Begovic from the Britannia Stadium.