While Chelsea have managed to sign a trickle of players already this summer, and sold a couple of too, things have been very slow on the loan front. It seems like that could be about to change, however.
Now that the Euros are over and preseason is starting all across Europe, we expect outgoing loans to really kick into gear, and among to the first to be launched looks to be Harvey Vale. The academy product is not one of the biggest names we’ll be sending on a loan this year, but there’s good demand for him.
He struggled at Hull in 2022/2023, but things improved dramatically with Bristol Rovers last season. He ended up with 47 appearances, racking up 3 goals and 6 assists along the way, largely playing as a left wing back.
Vale primed for a domestic loan
Proving himself at that level in that division has meant there’s plenty more interest this time around – Football.London report that “there is already plenty of interest in Vale this summer, with Championship sides, as well as foreign clubs keeping an eye on his situation at Chelsea.”
There doesn’t seem to be a chance he breaks into the first team squad, so it’s all about choosing the right loan now to continue his development.
It’s good also that domestic teams are keen – our foreign loan slots are going to be very precious, so sending as many players as possible on domestic moves is vital. A Championship move looks likely, and if he does as well as he did with Rovers last season, he could be ready for the Premier League this time next year. He’s a slow burner, flying under the radar, but his talent is there and he’s finally starting to get the chances he deserves.
