The whole thing must be based upon stacks of cash and stupidity. Why would a young talent like Mason Mount choose to go to play for a third rate Dutch team? What is that going to do for his long-term career? The football is mediocre in European terms. Half of his team mates are his fellow Academy colleagues. Why not just stay here and go on loan?
It's been interesting to see Solanke and Chalobah escaping this summer. They were the jewels of the system and have made zero impact at Chelsea other than top up the coffers a bit. Just as Kane and Winks have energised our Academy, surely, those 2 departures must dampen the mood at Chelsea's Academy?
Other than for the national team, it's not my concern but it is puzzling why so many players would commit their careers to a club that has no desire to get them into their first team and will sell them on Iike lucky heather.
Money and the fact that quite a number of them go on to sign for pretty decent clubs.
They're offered good terms when they're quite young and they see these players getting time at Premier League sides, albeit not Chelsea.
They send out about 30 players every summer on loan.
Ok, they're not getting regular time for their parent club, like Kane or Winks, but look at the other sides around us.
You can join one of them, sit on your arse and maybe get a game or a loan to a lower league club, if you're lucky.
Join Chelsea and you get a ton of money, get a loan to a Premier League side or maybe Ajax, Vitesse, Milan, Betis or Monchengladbach.
Then you'll get sold on to someone decent, as long as you impress.
I'm not saying that it's ideal, by any means, especially when it comes to integrating their players into the first XI.
Ake and Chalobah seem like rather strange sales to me this summer, for example.
There are a lot of sides doing far less for their youngsters though, in my opinion.