Football Today
·13 January 2023
Football Today
·13 January 2023
Championship clubs Wigan Athletic and Huddersfield Town recently enquired about taking Chelsea youngster Harvey Vale on loan, according to Nizaar Kinsella.
The 19-year-old joined Hull City on loan to gain some experience, but he struggled for game time and has returned to his parent club.
Vale’s time with the Tigers was disappointing. He has only made two appearances, starting one. Vale also made one FA Cup appearance for the club.
Wigan and Huddersfield tried to take the youngster on loan, but they weren’t allowed to loan him because of a Papa John’s trophy appearance for Chelsea’s under-21s.
Vale will have to stay with Chelsea until the end of the season because he has now played for two clubs in the 2022/23 season. He will have to find minutes in Chelsea’s under-23 side or the first team.
The Chelsea Academy Player of the Year spent some time with the first team during Thomas Tuchel’s tenure. But it is unclear if new manager Graham Potter rates him.
Vale left Fulham to join Chelsea’s under-13s before signing his first professional contract in September 2020. He made his Chelsea debut in December 2021 in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup. He then started in a 2–0 win against Brentford.
With Chelsea players dropping like flies, Vale may find himself playing with the first team if he keeps his head up. However, he will probably play with the reserve side until the end of the season.
Xavier Simons, another Chelsea academy star on loan at Hull, is also at an impasse. Manager Liam Rosenior has given him only 80 minutes of playing time but wants to sign him permanently.
Simons has to decide whether to continue his loan spell, sign for Hull permanently or go elsewhere in search of game time.
Chelsea’s third loanee at the club, goalkeeper Nathan Baxter is out of action. He recently had surgery and is recovering on Humberside and not at Cobham.