Chelsea to offload forgotten summer signing in January

Chelsea are expected to loan out summer signing Omari Kellyman in January, according to a report.

Eyebrows were raised when the Blues shelled out a whopping €22.5 million on Kellyman in the summer. The 19-year-old versatile attacker was brought to Stamford Bridge informally as part of a deal that saw Ian Maatsen head to Aston Villa.

At the time of the move, it was already blatantly obvious that this was a financial manoeuvre to help both Chelsea and Villa steer clear of any potential breaches of Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules.

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Several months on from the controversial transfer, Kellyman has yet to play a single minute of senior football for Chelsea, albeit his season has been disrupted by injury.

Still, it is evident that the teenager will not have a future at the club unless he actually starts playing and the prospect of this materialising is slim considering how well-tuned Enzo Maresca’s side currently are.

Kellyman to leave on loan

On Thursday, reports surfaced claiming that Kellyman was angling for a January loan and reporter Ben Jacobs has now confirmed that Chelsea are expected to sanction the England youth international’s temporary exit.

The journalist asserts that options in the Championship are being actively sounded out, with Chelsea trying to provide a pathway similar to Alfie Gilchrist’s. The defender is currently on loan at Sheffield United.

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Jacobs states that Chelsea believe that Kellyman can ‘make a real impact in the medium-to-long term,’ but it remains to be seen if this is a well-grounded belief or just club talk to justify a questionable financial scheme.

Kellyman made six senior appearances during his time at Aston Villa and, while Unai Emery praised him for his maturity, it is doubtful that any club would have paid anywhere near €22.5m for him under normal circumstances.