Chelsea have become notorious for their policy of sending out an army of players on loan to various clubs across the world every season.
The Blues have a whopping 38 players out on loan this season. This list includes the likes of promising young talents like Nathan Ake, Tammy Abraham and Andreas Christensen, with some of the players finding themselves on loan in Brazil and Turkey.
The reasons for this strange youth policy are yet to be properly explained, and it has drawn some heavy criticism from players who find their careers stagnating on loan. One such player used to be Nigerian wide man Victor Moses.
The 25-year-old has carved a place for himself in the current Chelsea set-up, as a wing-back under manager Antonio Conte. Moses has recently spoken up about the frustrations that a player on loan has to go through.
“I’ve been a little bit frustrated, I’m not going to lie,” said Moses, in an interview with Sport magazine.
“You spend about a month-plus in the hotel before you find your own place to stay – stuff there kind of plays in your head, and obviously the kids have to go to another place, go to school.
“I’ve not actually had time to relax. When the season finishes, you have to move back to London again, and those kind of things play in a footballer’s head.”
Moses joined Chelsea from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2012. After a good first season, where he made 43 appearances in all competitions, the Nigerian was banished to the loan army by Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.
After stints at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham, Moses has finally managed to make an impact for his parent club. The Nigerian has earned the trust of manager Antonio Conte with his solid performances in an unfamiliar wing-back position.
Moses has three goals and an assist in 13 league appearances for Chelsea, and is a key component of their attacking play. His resurgence has been such that mighty Barcelona have been linked with a move for him, ostensibly as a replacement for Dani Alves.
The success of Moses may well be an indicator of the kind of talent the Blues are missing out on because of their strange loan policy.
