The 22-year-old Englishman, who made his debut for Chelsea FC five seasons ago under Carlo Ancelotti, is set to finalise a move to the Championship in the coming days
Although the news might not come as a surprise, Chelsea fans will likely feel a sense of regret a wondering what might have been had Josh McEachran fulfilled the incredible potential he showed when he made his Blues debut under Carlo Ancelotti in 2010.
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The then 17-year-old went on to make over ten appearances during the 2010-2011 season in all competitions, leaving Blues fans optimistic that he could be the first academy graduate since John Terry to make an impact on the first team.
However, several managers and unsuccessful loan spells later, it appears that McEachrana s Chelsea FC career is at an end. According to reports in the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old is set to complete a permanent move to Championship side Brentford on a four-year contract.
The downward spiral of McEachrana s career is a cautionary tale both for Chelsea as well as current academy youngsters like Ruben Loftus-Cheek who are looking to make the breakthrough into the first team.
Stability is essential for the development of young players, along with finding the right club and environment for player growth. Providing that is Chelsea FCa s responsibility and it can be argued that the club did not do as well in McEachrana s case as they should have in that regard.
However, it is also up to youth players to maintain their focus and show the commitment and hard-work needed to play for a club like Chelsea FC a particularly with Jose Mourinho at the helm, as Loftus-Cheek learned the hard way following a half-hearted performance in a post-season friendly against Sydney FC last month.
McEachran is still young, and potentially still has a very fruitful career ahead of him. Disappointingly for him and for Blues fans however, it will not be at Chelsea FC.
