The fact that Chelsea’s new owners now own RC Strasbourg in France makes it almost like supporting two clubs at once.
The two work in tandem, with the Blues loaning their young talents to the French side, who get to use them in the short term and can get players which would otherwise be outside their budget bought for them by their big brother.
Left back Caleb Wiley has already joined Chelsea this summer with the intention of moving straight to Strasbourg, and now it seems a right back is going to join him. Gianluca Di Marzio is reporting that Guela Doué is going to sign for Chelsea for €7m plus €2m in addons from Rennes, and will then be loaned to their affiliate.
Doué broke into the Rennes first team last season, playing a good number of games in the league, the cup and the Europa League.
Guela #Doué is set to sign with @ChelseaFC and will then join @RCSA on loan. @staderennais expected to earn around €7m + €2m add-ons. @SkySport
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) July 25, 2024
Another vital loan slot taken up to help Strasbourg
We don’t know a huge amount about Doué, but he’s considered a good prospect and should upgrade Strasbourg’s first choice XI.
What we’re really concerned about now is the number of foreign loan slots which are going to be used up by these moves. We are accumulating these players faster than we can find destinations for them, and limiting our options to just domestic moves for the majority of them. At last count there were 12 players without an obvious first team role who would need a loan, we can now make that 13.
Surely in some of these cases of players coming to the BlueCo group it would make more sense for Strasbourg to be the ones making the signings, with Chelsea providing the funds? At the moment, it feels like we’re hurting Chelsea in order to help Strasbourg, when it should be a two-way benefit.
